Gudjohnsen: "I couldn't celebrate Iniesta's goal"

Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





Where were you on 27 May 2009 on 20:45 pm?
On the bench at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, from where I could see the match in perfect conditions. It's a day I'll probably never forget. I didn't play, but it was one of the happiest days of my life.

How many tickets did you have for the Cup final at Mestalla?
Let me think... I don't know, I think ten. And I had nine left!

Do you know Paris Hilton?
I know who she is, but I don't know her personally. The only really famous person I know personally is Messi. And Henry.

What do you prefer: the treble or the way of winning it?
For history, it's about the treble. For all the ones who saw it, it's about the way of winning it. And for me, it's about the friendship and unity between all the players.

What did you do when Iniesta scored at Stamford Bridge?
I felt strange. I was happy for my team-mates and for myself because we would play the Champions League final, but I couldn't celebrate it because we won at a place that had been my home for six years. My friends Terry and Lampard were devastated so I felt sadness and joy at the same time.

Who will win the world cup?
Don't write Iceland off, we'll be the underdog and we could surprise all the others.

Do you know where will you be next week?
Well, I think that I will be in the United States, doing the tour together with the rest of my teammates... I'm referring to my Barça team-mates.

Michael Jackson: homicide or accident?
Natural death. I would say it is natural that he would die, like all of us will.

Have you already said goodbye to Eto'o?
No. I hope to do it later, but I haven't yet said goodbye to him.

What will you remember from the parade in the streets of Barcelona after winning the three trophies?
Well, that I probably, although I could be wrong, will not live something like that again in my life. It was a special feeling. A unique day of joy.


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Gudjohnsen: "Guardiola has changed my life"

Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.

When you're preparing a game, you now get more information about the opponent than last year?
We don't get more, we just get it in an different way.

Guardiola is more demanding than Rijkaard?
No, not at all. Pep is not demanding, Pep is doing his job. He pays a lot of attention to the details of the opponent. Where can we hurt them, what about corner kicks, set pieces... We're well-informed about the threats and the opportunities.

Guardiola keeps on reminding you of Mourinho, like you said during the pre-season?
Yes he does, but not as a person! I was talking about his style of coaching. Both are crazy about football. Besides that, Pep has been a great player and he knows how the players feel cause he felt it too. I was actually talking about the details. Pep is as focused on details as Mourinho.

What about the mentality?
They're also alike. They both work very hard. They are quality coaches who are always on top of the group. They have clear lines. You can relax sometimes, but you also should know when things are getting serious.

You think the team is more competitive than last year?
Could be. It should be clear that we won't win every game with a big goal difference. What happened over the last weeks, was a bit exaggerated. 5-1 or 6-0 can be misleading.

You thought you would leave the club three months ago?
At the end of last season it was almost sure that I would go. I had decided that I would leave because of what I felt and because of the feelings I got from the club and the fans. But everything changed when I talked with Guardiola during the pre-season. Guardiola has changed my life. He surprised me. He said: "Look, Guddy, I believe in you, but you have to convince me and give everything during the pre-season". That changed my way of thinking and I didn't listen to any offers from then on because I wanted to focus on Barça.

You're family must have been happy with the decision to stay...
I've always said that our live here is excellent. We have everything, but I'm a football player and I don't want to stay here just for the good life. I will have time for that after my career.

This was the second and last part of this interview. Read the first part here:

Gudjohnsen: "We're ready to play against Madrid"

Read more interviews with Barcelona players here

Gudjohnsen: "We're ready to play against Madrid"

Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





How did you feel when you got injured after a good start of the season?
It was bad luck, but it was just horrible. After I got injured, I suffered a lot. It was difficult to accept, but it was counterbalanced with the fact that the coach let me play immediately when I came back. The first game I was ready, I could play and I scored a goal. I worked hard to be able to return as soon as possible.

I was surpised to see you come back on top of your game.
I have been working hard during the recovery. Besides that, and with all my respect towards my country and my national team, I got aware that sometimes it's not really "worth" it to play a game with Iceland, if you understand what i mean.

Is it too much of a risk?
It's always an effort, but look, I don't think that Iceland will win the World cup.

You're considering to leave the Iceland team so you can focus on Barcelona?
No, because it's still an honour to play for my country and people expect a lot from me. I enjoy every game I play with them, but with moderation. I will pick the games from now on.

You don't think three points is a too narrow lead looking at the difference in playing styles between Madrid and Barcelona?
Yes, looking at how we have been playing, there's not a lot of distance with the other teams, but winning 6-0 or 1-0 is the same. They both give you three points. The best thing for us is that because of the way we play, we should only focus on ourselves.

What happened to Real Madrid in the Cup, we all could see that coming. Something like that could also happen to Barcelona?
It's not likely these days, but in football there's a thin line between success and disaster. We were lucky to qualify for the next round and now we can put the cup aside until January and focus on the Liga and the Champions League.

The coach thinks the games against Malaga, Valladolid, Recreativo and Getafe are more important that the games against Madrid, Sevilla or Valencia. Do you agree?
I don't think those December games will be decisive. You don't win the league in November or December, but with a bad series you can lose it.

You're anxiously waiting for the Madrid game?
Of course we want to play against Madrid! But we need to keep or even improve our level in the meanwhile. I don't care about Madrid coming today or tomorrow, they can come whenever they want. We'll be ready.


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part tomorrow with Gudjohnsen talking - among other things - about José Mourinho and about how close his exit was this summer.

Read more interviews with Barcelona players here