Filipe: "Every player wants to play at Barca"

Deportivo La Coruña player Filipe Luis gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





How does one spend his holidays knowing that his future could be at Barça but that nothing's concrete yet?
It has been a while now that I made clear to my agent that I will only leave Depor to continue in Spain and to play at one of the big clubs and now this moment could have come. I'm nervous because I don't know what will happen in the future. And I cannot travel around either because I might have to travel back to Spain any moment.

Would you be able to play at Barça?
I don't know. But every player wants to play at what is now the best club in the world that has won everything. I've played against them and I know how it feels to run after the ball without coming close. Playing football would be very different if I joined them.

Is there some special thing about Barcelona that attracts you?
Playing at Barça would make it possible for me to win trophies, to compete for big things and to grow as a player, while the door of the Brazilian national team could also go open.

How were you informed about Barça's interest in you?
Through the press, because my agent doesn't tell me anything until there's a concrete offer. I remind you that back then we were still playing. When the league ended, my agent told me that Barça might be interested but that I had to stay calm and that he would take care of everything.

How did you react to the news?
I didn't even want to read the press because we were still playing for a Uefa spot and that could have taken my focus away. In fact, I asked advice to the psychologist at Depor and he recommened not to read anything. When the league ended, my father informed me about everything that had been written.

Someone from Barça talked with you during the last league game you played against Barcelona?
No, nobody talked with me. I couldn't in fact even talk with Sylvinho, whom I know, because at the end there was an invasion of the pitch and we all had to run inside.

You've already dreamt once before about playing at Barça?
I remember that I played a tournament in Lloret de Mar with the under-21 national team in 2004. We won it and we also took the chance to visit the Camp Nou. We attended a training session of the first team and I took a picture with Ronaldionho, who was my idol. That was my first contact with Barça and the truth is that when I saw the Camp Nou I said to myself: "Hopefully I will be able to play here with Barça one day." Later, Rivaldo was my agent. He also made history at the club and that's something you always take with you.

Despite all that, your first club in Spain was Real Madrid B.
It's true that Madrid gave me the chance to play in Spain and I'm grateful for that. I knew that it would be difficult to get into the first team, so that's why I chose to join Deportivo. It seems I didn't make a bad decision.


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