Pique: "The EPL and the Liga are equivalent"

Barcelona player Gerard Piqué gave an interview to catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





How do you deal with all the praising Barça is getting?
The problem is that when you then draw or lose a game, it seems like a catastrophe although that’s not the case. You have to continue the same way, with the same kind of football.

In Madrid they don’t stop talking about the pressure of Real Madrid. Does that affect you?
We’re just focusing on what we have to do, which is trying to win every game. We have now won three league games in a row and we played again like before, with a lot of speed, ball possession, pressure.

You understand what is going on at Real Madrid?
It’s understandable. If you’re a big club and you’re eliminated from the Copa and later from the Champions League, there’s some chaos and you have to look for solutions. Sometimes you then want to change things too drastically and too quickly. We’ll see what will happen until the end of the season. They now have only one competition left, so we will have to give everything we have to win the Liga.

What about the treble, is that possible?
Well it’s possible because we’re still competing for the three trophes. But we’re talking about something very complicated that Barça has never done in the 109 years the club exists. It’s a challenge for the team but it should be clear for the fans that it’s something very difficult.

Guardiola is the secret of the excellent season?
Guardiola has been very important because he has changed the ideas and the motivation to win. The team has adapted very well to that since the first day.

What do you think when you see Messi playing?
That in football there are still things that we didn’t see before. I see him doing new things every day. It’s a great player and a great person.

You’ve played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and with Leo Messi both at the youth tems and now. Is there some similarity between the two of them?
If there is one, then it’s maybe that they’re playing the same position but they’re very different players. Cristiano Ronaldo is maybe a lot stronger, taller and physically more complete and that’s why he can score with the head, from a corner, from set pieces, but Messi is so decisive, so unstoppable that it’s a joy to see him play.

You’re the favourites in the Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern Munich?
No, no. Bayern is a very solid team, strong, like they were years ago. Ribéry has a lot of pace, Luca Toni can hold the ball well and score. I think it’s a very complete team and that it will be very complicated. And you shouldn’t forget that we play the second game away.

If you beat Bayern, you will play against Chelsea or Liverpool. I suppose that it would be special for you to return to England?
I don’t like to talk about hypotheses because we still have to play against Bayern but it’s true that it would be special to return to play in England. But I’m not thinking about it yet, first there’s Bayern.

Why is the English Premier League dominating in Europe?
Three or four years ago, a lot of investments were made and we see the result now. The clubs have more money and can sign better players, but I don’t think the Spanish league is far behind. I think both are at the same level.

You already pulled some joke in the national team?
I still haven’t. We’ll keep that for later.


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