In a recent article for Four Four Two magazine, Barca’s miniature maestro
Andres Iniesta dished the dirt on his team-mates, giving the fans a glimpse into life behind the scenes and beyond. Below is what the number
8 had to say.
David Villa – “A hugely talented striker – one of the very best in the world. He’s two-footed and very quick. A great lad and probably the favourite for the pichici this season – but it’s you journalists who say that and not the players. He’s a family man who settled straight away at Barcelona, which was no surprise as he has played with most of us for Spain. We told him everything he needs to know in South Africa. He’s always been prolific – maybe he can be even more prolific at Barca and win some of the top club trophies which have eluded him.”
Victor Valdes – “My best mate in the team – we played in the youth and B teams together. We travelled all around Spain on a coach and now we travel all around the world on planes. Loud, funny, crazy and very animated. If he wasn’t Spanish he’d be a top international keeper. There is no better shot stopper. Last season was his best.”
Carles Puyol – “Our leader, a reference point of the team. When people think of Barcelona they think of Puyol. He shouts on the pitch but is quiet off it. He’s very thoughtful and likes being at home. He still goes on holiday to Ibiza and must be the only person who doesn’t go to a disco!”
Gerard Pique – “Gerry’s a joker and a lively character in the dressing room who hides your [stuff] and does stupid things he learned in England. He’s from Barcelona and he was at the club as a youngster before going to Manchester so he was taught to play the Barca way. He came back and quickly showed that he’s a world class defender. He’s elegant and great coming forward with the ball and gets goals, some important goals, and is one of the first names on the team sheet for Barcelona and Spain despite being just 23.”
Bojan – “Always smiling even when he’s not happy, he’s become an important player for Barca. He may not play every week but he contributes greatly to the team, with goals, runs and crosses. He’d prefer to play central but he does well on the left or right. Another example of Barca promoting local talent.”
Eric Abidal – “Eric never tires. Watch him in the 80th minute of a game and he’s as fresh as in the first. He contributes to the good atmosphere and knows what a good atmosphere can bring to a dressing room because he was succesful at Lyon. Physically he’s close to perfect and really looks after himself.”
Sergio Busquets – “Another local player in his early twenties who is already experienced at winning trophies. Last season was the first time he broke into the first team and he played a lot of games immediately, soon becoming an important player for the national team as well as for Barca. He looked like a veteran straight away playing in the centre of midfield and he’s got the trust of the coach. Quiet and focused off the field. He loves to play – he has that enthusiasm every day.”
Lionel Messi – “The best footballer in the world. Can I just say that? No? Ok, he never stops moving, he can’t sit still. He’s grown up a lot and deals with the pressure and interest in him really well. This team is good like that. He also thinks about the team, not just himself. That’s really important.”
Dani Alves – “The crazy one. He chooses the music in the dressing room – some of it good, some of it terrible. He’s so full of life. He’s got too much energy and never stops. We needs games to sap some of that energy. He’s the only player who looks forward to extra time.”
Xavi – “People ask me if we have some kind of telepathy. We’ve just come through the same system and were taught to play the same way by the same people so we can sense what we are going to do next. He’s a good friend too. He really encouraged me when I was breaking into the first team. I can always have a chat with him and know that he’ll support me.”
Pedro – “People think that he burst onto the scene from nowhere last season to become a world beater but we knew what a good player he was after watching him so much in training and for Barca B. Still, not everyone who plays at that level goes on to be a success for the first team like Pedro. I don’t think he could believe how well it went himself – scoring in all six competitions like he did and then playing in and winning the World Cup. But he worked hard, listened and when he got the opportunities he took them. I laughed at the end of the season when Pedro shouted ‘Forever Tenerife!’ on the podium after we’d won the title. He has a great future.”
Seydou Keita – “A tough player who despite usually playing as a defensive midfielder gets in good positions to score important goals. He’s another former Sevilla player along with Dani and Adriano so they all socialise. Has the hardest shot at the club and is very important in Europe. Maybe his strength is used more there.“
. Zar se moze reci za ekipu koja osvoji u jednoj sezoni svih 6 mogucih trofeja, dvije titule Spanije uzastopno i titulu LP-a da ima lose igrace i da igra lose? Ili prosjecne igrace i prosjecnu igru? Ti bas "objektivno" gledas fudbal .. 
..ali dobroj nek su dobili..
