Keita: "Piqué lives in his own crazy world"

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





All Barca fans were very happy with your great goal against Real Madrid last year. Is that the best goal of your career?
I do not think so. Last year, for example, I scored other goals that were more or less the same, like against Fenerbahçe and Arsenal in the Champions League. Of course, now that I am a Barça player, I would say that yes, that was my best goal (laughs).

Perhaps we are expecting to see a more offensive Keita. You have even played once as left back. At Barca do you have a slightly different role?
It's true, I played about twenty minutes as left back due to the circumstances. But yes, my role is different now. For about eight years I played as a defensive midfielder, so I can not become a number ten over night. I try to add things and score goals on occasion.

In fact, the fans want to see more goals of this type. Statistics in hand, it is the unfinished business of Barça to shoot more from in front of the goal.
Yes, but it's easier to score when you play on any another team than Barça. When you have eight, nine or ten players defending you can not shoot just like that.

Of course. However, your three goals with Barca in the league have been crucial...
Well yes, crucial (smiles), when they have avoided a major defeatn they were important.

Passing a ball to Henry, Messi or Eto'o ensures danger. Do you have the impression that, ultimately, they get all the credit?
These are the things of football. Each player in each position has his role, and finishing is the job of the forwards. There will be other players who score goals, but these three complete the work of the team. This does not mean they do more or are more important than others, they simply complete the work because they are in front of the goal more often. This is normal, they have the talent to do it and that is why they are so admired and play for Barca.

And you do not have the feeling that the fans appreciate the work of the Barca midfield the least?
For me it is normal and I don’t feel jealous about it. The day we win with a goal of mine, the forwards we were talking about, will jump on me to celebrate. And when Puyol or Abidal score (laughs) we will all jump on them, because it will be the goal of victory. I am very happy that Eto'o, Messi and Henry score so many goals because it is good for everyone, like the work of the defence and the midfield, where scoring goals is not the task, it is useful for everyone. When you play as a team, you know you play a collective sport, and we must not feel jealous.

Certainly having Messi... Is he the best in the world?
Seeing the things he does, I would say yes, but at Barcelona there are only great players. It is true that Messi has a 'plus', and I do not need to tell you, you have seen that what he does is impressive.

We have talked about it before, was it difficult for you to adapt to a 4-3-3?
It was not difficult. I have learned to play in this system, while there are players who come to Barca and it is impossible. Some take a year to adapt, but others never adapt and have to change clubs.

How do you judge your performance so far?
It is difficult to judge myself, but for the six months I have been here I would say that I have done (thinking)... well (laughing). But there is still a lot of the season left. Last year, with Sevilla, I scored only four goals, three more in the Champions League, and everyone said that I had done well. This year I have three goals in league, so whatever happens, I will not do worse than at Sevilla because from now until the end of the season I will surely score another goal (laughs).

One of the things that has changed in relation to last year, when you were not here yet, is the atmosphere in the dressing room, which this year is excellent. According to Henry and Piqué, it is very funny...
Well, Piqué lives in his own world, he’s crazy (laughs). But I do not think that it was us, the new people, who have changed the environment. Football is different each year, every game and every day is different. Last year was difficult for all, with regard to the environment, outside the dressing room and at the club. But things have changed.

What has changed?
Football works like this, we were lacking 'something', which in our case we needed the best coach, and he has given confidence to the players, making everyone play so that everyone feels important. Similarly, when the team wins, everything seems easy, and with each victory, the unity of the group is strengthened, it creates good atmosphere and the fans also become more confident, it's normal. But it is not because we have new players who come and fool around in the locker room.

How is your relationship with your teammates off the pitch?
We have a good relationship. In the short time I have been here I'm fine with everyone. The truth is that we don’t see each other much off the pitch.

Ah no?
With a match every three days, our families almost don’t see hide nor hair of us (laughs) so it is a bit difficult to spend our time-off with teammates. In addition, at Barca we arrive an hour early, we have breakfast here and we eat here often. I've never done anything like this at any of the other clubs I have been at. We spend four or five hours a day together, and if we add to that the trips and parties, it is enough to be a united group (laughs).

Translated by: Andrew


This was the second part of this interview. You will be able to read the third part in the coming days. You can read the first part here:
Keita: "I have to get better to contribute something"