Xavi: "I look forward to playing for six trophies"

Barcelona player Xavi gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





The Confederations Cup has finally ended and the next thing is the World Cup, that will have a clear blaugrana colour with you, Iniesta and Messi...
Barcelona is a standard. It's a privilege that the home-grown players are key players at the club and the national teams. To have a world cup with Andrés, Leo, Dani Alves, Puyol, Piqué or Busquets shows that Barça has done well.

They are the foundation of a team that seems destined to make history.
We know that Barça is in good shape and next year we'll have a great season. We're going to play for more trophies because we did well last season and we're looking forward to those three new competitions.

It all started with the European championships, what do you remember of that?
For us, there's a before and an after the trophy. The Spanish football players are far more valued because of it. We've lost our complexes. The team played with the talent they have within. Winning the title was good for our confidence and our state of mind.

Barcelona's national team players showed that confidence this season.
It's just that we saw that we could compete with whoever, with teams like Germany or Italy that have won several world cups. You see that you also can do it.

The Euro ends, you return to Barcelona and you meet with a certain Pep Guardiola who puts all his confidence in the former youth players. How do you see the contribution of the coach?
His arrival has been a total success. Carles and I knew him since we have been his team-mates. We knew what he was capable of and we were convinced that things would turn out fine... But not that fine! It couldn't have gone better. Pep is very detaillistic, enthusiastic, he gives everything for his ideas. For the philosophy of Barça, there's no better coach, with a way of playing, an attacking game plan to enjoy. I said at the start of the season that we were enjoying ourselves and he has ended up convincing us.

How were you able to hold that high level?
Because we really wanted to keep on winning. The group is mentally very strong. There's a good vibe, a good dressing-room. The little details are very well taken care of. It's not just Pep, also Tito Vilanova, the whole staff, the physical coaches, the doctors... Everything is being controlled and we should keep it this way.

A new treble is possible?
Why couldn't we dream about it? I already said it last season and we got it in the end. You can dream whatever you want, but it of course will be difficult. In the whole history of Spanish football, it has only happened once, although you also should be aware that we're playing for six trophies now.

this was the first part of this interview, you will be able to read the following parts in the coming days.


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