Messi: "I'm growing with every match"

Barcelona player Lionel Messi gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





What do you hope for in 2009?
I hope that the suffering of everyone in the world ends. It's my biggest wish that one has in their mind, something that I think of when I'm with my family when everyone is reunited for these feasts.

How would you rate the past year, both individually and group wise?
Individually, I feel that I could've been better, but I don't complain because the last part of the year went very well. Group wise, with the national team we won the gold medal but it's not going as well in the World Cup qualifications. And in Barcelona, we're on a good path.

What were the best moments this year? And the most difficult ones?
Feeling that we owe something to the people because the national team needs to give much more than it is already giving. Also, losing the Liga title with Barcelona and an injury that I sustained. Every time a new year begins, my illusion is huge.

Did you expect to finish this part of the season with so many points separating you from the rest of the teams?
I expected that the team could do their job plus more.

What is this Barcelona preparing for? How far can it go?
I think that we're in the path that we wanted to be, and if we keep on doing like this we can achieve many things, but with modesty. We're willing to work, grow, but always with the calmness that we feel as a group.

Do you always feel more mature football-wise?
I feel that I'm always growing with every match and I know that with time I'll gain more maturity.

Do you ever miss Ronaldinho? As a friend, teammate, his jokes, his advice. Do you keep in touch?
Ronnie is always missed. He's a great person, a great friend. Every once in a while we message each other.

Translated by: AL


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part on this blog in the coming days.

Read more:
Messi dedicated second Sevilla goal to sister
Deco: "Every 20 years you have a player like Leo"
Messi will wear new boots on Sunday

International: Catalonia defeats Colombia

Catalonia played against Colombia last night. Barcelona players Puyol, Piqué, Busquets and Bojan particpated in the 2-1 win. Bojan scored the 1-0 and was decisive in the 2-0.

The four Barça players all started the game. Puyol, who got booked, and Piqué played one half. Busquets, who made his debut for Catalonia, was replaced in the 67th minute, Bojan in the 77th minute.

Rating the new guys: Dani Alves

How Barcelona defeated Madrid (part 2)

Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova explained to Catalan newspaper El Periódico some of the key decisions that led Barcelona to win the clásico two weeks ago.



1. The line-up
2. Madrid
read more here

3. The last advices
The blaugrana players arrived fast in the dressingroom. They were frustrated with so little result for so much effort. "Keep on playing without rashing, slow everything down a little", the coaches advised them. "Don't go mad, keep a clear head", they insisted.

They analyzed the game with more distance. The players only thought about winning, but it was also a matter of not losing this game. "They asked us to stay calm, not to get obsessed and they took away our urge of the first half", said Dani Alves.

Besides the emotional notes, they needed to add a pair of tactical elaborations. "We told them that we had too many players before the ball and that a loss could be very dangerous, so they should relax, settle in their positions and then the game would come our way", was the general advice.

There also was a more specific one. For Xavi. "We recommended him that he should get away from the centre, that he he should give Messi more space, because when Leo receives a ball, several opponents close down on him and the others get more freedom."

4. The crucial change
After one hour, of play, the game got stuck. The rushing and the anxiety could reappear, although the coaches still were "convinced" that they would win the game. "With Busquets, we wanted to bring a player with a more easy touch and a quicker way of playing", Vilanova explains.

"They only had Gago and Guti in the centre", he specifies, with Palanca covering Abidal and Drenthe on the other side covering Alves. The entry of Van der Vaart to strenthen the Madrid mifdield didn't add anything. The Dutchman doesn't have the fighter's profile Madrid needed.

The arrival of Busquets was complemented with the positioning of Messi as dropped-back centre forward so he could face Cannavaro and Metzelder. Xavi was deactivated by a man-to-man marking "which is more uncomfortable for the player than for the coaches".

For a simple reason. "We have a lot of players who can make the difference and we'll always have chances to score", says Vilanova. Without Xavi and Iniesta, they indeed came. Again. And Barça is still on its way to the football heaven.


This was the second and last part of this article. You can read the first part here.

Barcelona to play in LA, Seattle and Miami

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona will most probably prepare the 2009-2010 season for the third consecutive time by starting the pre-season in Scotland.

Like in 2003, 2006 and 2008, the team will then travel to the United States (read more here). In 2004, 2005 and 2007, Barcelona went on tour in Asia.

Asia was again an option, but because of the possible participation of a Barcelona franchise in the MLS, Barcelona would return to the United States next August.

While in the past years, Barcelona played games in Boston, Washington and Philadelpia (2003), in Los Angeles, Houston and New York (2006) and in Chicago and New York (2008), Barcelona would play in 2009 friendly games in Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami.

Read more:
Barcelona plans new US tour in 2009