Keita: "Guardiola has a lot of confidence in me"

Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave an interview to Spanish weekly sports paper Don Balón.





Making you eat together is part of the Guardiola system. What has surprised you most about his style of coaching and his way of dealing with the group?
Guardiola is a calm person who knows what he is doing. I remember what we said when we lost against Numancia on matchday one, it is the same as what he says now. After that game we could not imagine we would do what we have done, but surely he knew what he wanted.

Is it true that Guardiola is someone who does not impose his ideas, but convinces you with his words?
I am very good with him. Once I was even surprised by what he said, it was the first time that a coach had told me that.

What did he say?
I do not know how to explain it, it was about personal things, but he surprised me, and showed me that he had a lot of confidence in me, more than I thought. I had scored three goals and I said to myself that I had to do much more, but the coach was already very happy with what I had done. Perhaps people want every player at Barca to be like Messi for example, but that is not possible (smiles). As a team, everybody does their job, and if he does it well then the coach will be happy.

Guardiola knows how to convey confidence thanks to his words, his attitude and his past...
Yes, and he says what he thinks, he will never talk for the sake of talking. When things are not going well he tells you because he is not happy. This happened with me once, and I think it is a good way to act. You have to comment on things that are done well and also on the things that are done badly in order to correct what is not working. Also, we do plenty of video sessions. The coach leaves nothing to chance.

Lets talk about your time at Sevilla. You were there for one season. What is your best memory?
From Sevilla I have good memories, but there I also felt a lot of sadness. Not on a sporting level, but what happened to our teammate Antonio Puerta. When you arrive at a club, and within weeks something happens like what happened, you may end up having a good season but you know you do not feel happy. Antonio was a kid who was always happy, full of life, and everything happened on the pitch, in front of us. It was very hard. You can lose friends, but to see it with your own eyes is very difficult. Later, the coach left, and things were very complicated. But despite everything, the team struggled and made a great season, sportingly speaking. But as I say, it was not easy.

Who do you maintain a relationship with from the staff at Sevilla?
I maintain in contact mainly with my friend Frederic Kanoute and with the physiotherapists. Sevilla is part of my past and is a club I love very much.

What luck that Alves came with you to Barca, right?
Yes. It is always better to change clubs at the same time as a teammate.

Tell me a secret: what does Alves eat to be up and down the pitch from the first minute until the ninetieth without getting tired?
That is how Dani plays. And he did the same in Seville, it was always like that.

To conclude, have you felt yourself the racism in football?
If you want me to tell you the truth, not many people are behaving in a racist manner, and those who do, do not understand anything at all. They don’t see that we are all equal, and that when they defend the colours of a club, it doesn’t matter which one is white, black or yellow. What counts is the shirt, this is most important. Then, those who behave like racists in general have not understood anything, I didn't choose to be black, you didn't choose to be white, we breathe the same air, we eat the same things, there is nothing to distinguish us, just skin colour. But in my opinion, everyone thinks what they want, frankly.

You're very religious. How do you explain the importance of religion in your daily life?
It is true, religion is very important to me. I was born into a Muslim family, and as we said, coming into the world in one place or another is not something one chooses. But above all, with time I learned to know what it is to be Muslim. Professing my religion, I don’t have any problems with anyone, I am calm and healthy, but is difficult to explain this to people because, as a result of certain things that have happened, people now associate the ideas of muslims with violence. But inwardly, I feel great and I have no problem with any other belief. Everybody is free to do what they want.

Do you follow the ramadan? Would you be willing to leave a club if they prevented you from following it?
I do not see why they would put obstacles in my way when the ramadan lasts a month and the season is lengthened to nine months. Football is our job and we must do things so they do not pose difficulties for our work, and compensate later in the evening or even during the week, so I have no problem. I do celebrate the ramadan, but with the competitions, it is impossible to comply every single day of the month. It would not be normal to say that I did not train or play during the entire month of the ramadan, I have to do my job. And God gives you options. God does not impose things on people if you do not have the ability to do them.

Translated by: Andrew


This was the third and last part of this interview. You can read the previous parts here:
Keita: "I have to get better to contribute something"
Keita: "Piqué lives in his own crazy world"