Toure: "We were phenomenal"

Speaking to reporters after the Super Cup final, Barcelona players Xavi, Toure, Bojan, and Henry commented on the first title of the season.


Xavi
"We want to endorse what we have won last season and winning a title is a perfect start for that. We have been very good putting pressure."

Touré
"I'm happy we won the super cup, but we have to go match by match and prepare for Shakhtar because it will be very difficult. The first leg against Athletic was difficult because they played very well, however in the 2nd leg we were phenomenal."

Bojan
"It is important to win cups and show that we are doing good. We are motivated and we hope we can continue winning with hard work and modesty. When I scored, the audience was quite, I thought the referee was going to whistle something. I've grown a lot, gained confidence, and recovered the natural instinct necessary to score goals."

Henry
"It's yet another title, but that doesn't mean we're going to win everything all over again. However, we will continue fighting and running to get it. Ibrahimovic? He's still missing the goal, but he was involved in all the plays and his time of scoring will come."

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Messi, Henry, Keita and Puyol on Ibrahimovic

Speaking to journalists after yesterday's training session, Barcelona players Messi, Henry, Keita and Puyol commented on new signing Ibrahimovic's adaptation.


Messi
"It was his first match and we have only had a few trainings together. I still have to get to know his movements, and he still has to know mine.

But he is a player with a lot of quality and he will adapt well to the group. Ibrahimovic has to do his job and we have to help him do so. He shouldn't think about the comparisons with Eto'o because they are different players. Hopefully, Ibrahimovic can also give us a lot of joy."

Henry
"There are always expectations about the new players in Barcelona, whether they're coming from the academy or not. He has already shown his class. He was involved in all the plays, luck was the only thing missing that kept him from scoring. Eto'o is already a part of the history of the club. It is not good to compare, now we have Ibra and we hope to win a lot with him too."

Keita
"He has spent a lot of time without playing. Alone, he cannot do anything, so the important thing is that he integrates well into the group."

Puyol
"The rival's centre-backs will not have an easy job marking Ibra. He is strong and fast, and he has technique. It's a shame he has the injury in his hand as it delayed his adaptation a bit, but soon he will be able to play without any problems."

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Xavi: "We will not repeat the errors of the past"

Speaking to Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio, Barcelona player Xavi Hernandez commented on the Gamper match and looked ahead to the new season:

"The team played well, we dominated the entire game but the ball did not want to go in. This was a friendly, what is important is Sunday.

We have learned from the negative things we went through in the past. We have many challenges to overcome, we are intelligent and we will not repeat the errors of the past."

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Pedro talks about Messi and the treble

Speaking to Catalan radio station COM Ràdio, Barcelona player Pedro (22) spoke of teammate Lionel Messi and the possibility of winning the treble again this season:

"Messi is the best player in the world, becoming like him is something impossible. No one else can do what he does, he's at a very high level. The truth is that all the players who came out of the cantera of Barcelona and have reached a high level because of their hard work and desire, and this is why I am confident I can make it.

The coming season will be very difficult because repeating the treble would take a lot. But I think we have an excellent team that will continue with a lot of desire and ambition. This is why we can repeat the treble. We have to go step by step, match by match, and we can get there again if we continue playing at this level."

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City coach Hughes set for special Barcelona date

Manchester City manager and former Barcelona player Mark Hughes commented on the upcoming match against Barcelona in an interview with his club's official media:

"It's a high-profile and prestigious game. We'll look to get a lot of positives out of this game, and it was an honor even to be asked over. We should go over and enjoy the experience. It's not very often you get the opportunity to play in the Nou Camp in front of a 100,000, so you should take that chance.

I enjoyed my time in Barcelona, I went out as a young lad but came back much more experienced, and I came back married as well! It was a big time in my life, the football did not go as well as I would have liked. I found it difficult to impose myself in the team but it was a good experience for me.

With hindsight, maybe I could have made more of the opportunity that was given to me, but at the time you tend to have a different mindset. But it was a wonderful experience overall. Barcelona is a fantastic city and I came back from it as a better player and a better person."

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Guardiola thinks Ibrahimovic will adapt quickly

Speaking at a press conference, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola praised Barelona's new signing Ibrahimovic's quality and adaptation:

"Ibrahimovic has adapted well to the team and to the people. Today, at the Gamper, we want him to start playing so he can catch the rhythm he is missing.

I don't think it will take Ibra a lot of time to get used to us. He has a lot of class and is the type of player who can adapt to any system. I am confident that he will do so as soon as possible. The most important thing is that he gets some playing time, but he is a very intelligent player and has already taken in our tactics. When I first saw him play I thought he was very big and tall but had a lot of quality, like someone who was much smaller. He dominates all aspects of the game.”

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