The Fans Football Blog3

Barcelona player Carles Puyol gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





How is this year going as the captain? Has there been criticism towards your work the past season?
My work has been the same this year as in the past years. I haven't changed. Considering all the critics, I try to listen to all opinions, but one must follow their own path. You can learn from everything but at the same time it's very clear that it's impossible to control what people say.

Johan Cruyff recently said that Messi wouldn't have received so many kicks if he had played closer to the box...
I never heard that. I don't usually read those things.

Anyways, must we worry about Messi?
Why?

There was a rumour about him missing a training. Now the worst is feared but the culés. You know how the cracks here don't last...
All that I have to say is that we must enjoy Messi and not think negatively. I hope and wish that he stays here many years and it's clear that you never know what can happen in football. I would tell the supporters that there's nobody like him and we must enjoy his presence.

What's certain is that here haven't been "storms" and even Eto'o, who often generated doubts, is showing model behavior...
The ambiance is good. We're all united and that can be seen on the pitch, where we play very close. Everything is easier now. When you win, everything goes well but a team shows what it really is worth when tough moments come and it stays united. There we will prove whether or not we're really a team. Right now, not one complaint.

Is the Liga already won?
We're going through La Liga well but if you relax you can lose to anybody. We must keep on playing like we are now and celebrate at the end.

And why is it so hard for the culé to enjoy being 12 points ahead of Madrid while in Madrid the phrase "together we can do it" is everywhere?
That's how we are and I think that's wrong. What we must do now is enjoy because we can't be like "but, but, but" all day because it doesn't help. Feeling fear and suffering without a reason only complicates things.

Are you jealous at how Madrid is like that?
No, never. I'm proud of being a culé and we have our defects but that's how we are.

Translated by: AL


This was the second part of this interview. You can read the third part on this blog in the coming days and the first part here:
Puyol: "Things aren't won until you lift the cup"

Read more:
Xavi: "How did this happen?!"
Puyol wants to retire at Barcelona
Eto'o: "Renewal talks should wait for the summer"