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Luis Garcia Interview
Taken from RAwk this is a Luis Garcia Interview that was on Radio Marca last night
Transcripted and translated by Anotherspainishfan from RAWK
This is a transcript and translation of an interview that just aired a couple of hours ago in Radio Marca. Luis talks about his recovery, the CL tie and his old and recent links to Atletico amongst other things Wave
Interviewer: You’re in Barcelona at the moment recovering from injury. You’re obviously going to see the Barça-Liverpool match on Wednesday?
Yes, yes, for sure.
You’re going to the stadium?
Yes, I’ll be there.
How’s your recovery coming along? Because you tore the ACL on your right knee in a League Cup match against Arsenal ?
Exactly…
And you’re going to miss the entire season, correct?
Yes, unfortunately until the next pre-season I won’t be able to play, well, maybe a bit earlier but the objective now is to be ready for the pre-season and to take it slow. Right now I’m on schedule and I just need to be patient and mentally strong.
You told me earlier that Dr. Cugat performed the surgery. And you’re recovering now in Barcelona
Yes
And everything is going well, on schedule…
Exactly, we’re right on target. My knee is responding well, it’s not swelling and as of right now and it’s getting stronger after every training session and now it’s just about me being patient and understanding that it’s a slow and long recovery process.
All bad things aside, which are many, if you have to look at a positive, it is that you get to be at home?
Yes, of all the negative things, like you said I have to look at the positives and well I can be here with my friends and family who are giving me great support which is essential for my recovery and then of all the bad things I still have the confidence that come pre-season time I’ll be there just like any other player and will be able to work on my fitness to be ready for the start of the league.
You’re an important player for Liverpool. You score goals, and a fix on the starting eleven…?
Well, I’m a Liverpool player. Obviously we all have our parts to play and until my injury I wasn’t doing all that bad…
No, you were doing fairly well. International and all the goals, etc…
And what’s your take on the Barça-Liverpool matchup then? Are Barça the favourites although Liverpool won their group and get to play the second leg at Anfield?
There’s a bit of everything. It’s evident that Barcelona playing at home first, being the reigning champions and because of all the players they have they might be the favourites coming into the match a little bit over any other team. But like you said Liverpool are doing well also and so far at home we’re doing better than in other years and we just need to do well at Camp Nou, which is going to be the most difficult one for us, it’s going to be complicated and we need to be really focused.
And Luis is this Barça very different to last years?
Well, obviously they haven’t been playing as attractively as they had us accustomed to these past couple of years. It’s also true that each passing day opposing teams get more competitive and teams find the best way they can harm Barcelona and it gets more difficult for them but I think they’re still a very dangerous team.
Because they have very good players that take over the game at any moment and now Messi has recovered for them who came on as a sub the other day and he’s already looking really good, no?
Exactly and the other day he also played 20 minutes or so and he did well and demonstrated that he’s a very dangerous player and can create something on any given play, a dangerous free-kick or strike or an open play that ends up on a goal and he can be decisive, so we need to be really focused.
And they might have Eto’o ready soon also
Yes and Eto’o also. It’s like small injections of confidence that after a bad result or a series of not so good games they can have these boosts of morale with players like these two coming back and giving them back their old style of play and performance.
Either way it’s not easy score against Liverpool…
No, the truth is that the every day work on defense is going really well. Last year we were a very difficult team to score against and perhaps this year away from home we haven’t been as good but like you said we’re not a team that concedes many goals.
The other day I heard Ayala, Valencia player, say that he hoped the controversy with Eto’o and the Barça dressing room would have a negative effect on them to help Valencia win the match. You hope so too?
Well obviously if that might have an influence for our own good then yes but I tell you that I don’t believe that an outside problem like this can have an impact on the pitch. When a player steps on the pitch you have many things to think about to even worry about something that happened 3 hrs before the match.
How do you envision this tie?
I really don’t know I honestly haven’t thought about it too much because it’s difficult enough not being a part of it right now but I think it’s going to be a beautiful tie. I think the match at Camp Nou will see two teams trying to get a feel for each other because they haven’t played against for a long time and they’re two different teams. And then a huge spectacle at Anfield because I’m sure that Barcelona will try to prove that they’re one of the greats at Anfield and we will see a more powerful and potent Liverpool there.
More powerful because there you’re not playing with 11, It’s more like 14!!! Wait I’m not talking about the refs but with the support over there, they never stop singing
(laughs)Yes I understand.
They never stop supporting. It’s a great spectacle/
Yes, exactly. It’s something really worth seeing and like I said it’s two teams that like to play football and I’m sure we’ll see a great match.
Do you think that we’ll see Eto’o in the Premiership next season?
Eto’o??? In the Premiership???
Yes. Do you think that he’ll end up at Chelsea?. It’s the big rumour going on right now
Oh, alright. I don’t know really. He’s the kind of player that can do well anywhere he plays, on any team, but I think that despite anything that might have gone on I think he’s happy here in Barcelona.
I’m looking now here at the ‘Career’[stats] of “Javier Luis Garcia” instead of “Luis Javier Garcia” right?
(Laughs) Yeah
Career: ’97-’98 (15goals-36 matches for Barça B)
’98-’99 (10 goals-36matches)
’99-’00 (6 matches with Valladolid)
Then at Toledo, Tenerife, Valladolid, Atletico Madrid…etc, We’ve always talked about how difficult it’s been for you to get to where you are right now. Champion of Europe, finalist of the Carling Cup with Liverpool in 2005. This is in England… and we still appreciate you in Spain a lot. You know about Atletico de Madrid who are crazy for you to come back ‘Luis come to Spain’…
(Laughs) No, they already know my preference, that I have a lot of love for them and I don’t miss a match even if I have to pay for my entrance and I’m enjoying this year because they’re closer than ever to get into Europe and I hope they keep it up and despite a bump here and there they can achieve European qualification for next season.
Next Saturday: Atletico de Madrid vs. Real Madrid
Yes, Yes, I know, I know [laughs] huge match.
And what if Atleti get into the Champions League?
I think they deserve it. Right now it’s a difficult task because there are many teams that are doing very well like Zaragoza, Sevilla, Valencia, Real Madrid…all of these teams will fight for those places but, why not? Let’s hope they can get in.
Are you surprised of how bad Real Madrid are playing right now?
[sighs]Well the truth is that it’s a difficult moment for them but Barcelona were in a similar situation over three years ago. They had to make big changes to sort everything out and in the end look at them now. I think these are cycles that you go through, sometimes you need go through rough patches for the good moments to come by and well right now it’s Real Madrid and maybe it’s the moment for them to start pulling up a little bit because they’re going through a bad time.
The other day it was published in the press that Miguel Angel Gil Marin [One of Atletico’s directors] at Anfield and everybody was saying he went there for Luis Garcia and Arteta because he was there too. But I was told by him that he just went there because he always wanted to and some time ago he had to cancel a trip to Liverpool and he took the opportunity to go watch the derby against Everton and to take the opportunity that his friend Garcia Quilón was over to materialize the signing of Arbeloa for Liverpool and all of that. But I have the feeling that Miguel Angel doesn’t ‘sew a button without a thread’[doesn’t do things without a purpose]
What?
I think he went over to see the game and other things…
Oh yes? Well, I don’t know about that. I can tell you that I did see him at the stadium and I talked to him and little else…but I already knew he was coming to Anfield because my agent is Manolo Garcia Quilón and he told me about it, that they had to cancel and this and that but I don’t know if he spoke to a specific player or team. I’m telling you I don’t have that information.
Manuel Garcia Quilón is a beast, eh?
He’s fantastic, yeah
The other day someone told me “he’s the best football agent for players there is in Spain”.
For me he is. Obviously he’s my agent and I can’t say otherwise but he’s really excellent.
He gets along and is friends with everybody and look he represents: Quique Sanchez Flores, Baraja…
No but it’s like you said, the most important thing is that he’s a friend. More than an agent he’s a friend
And besides he has good vision. Because he says ‘I told Luis Garcia to wait, wait, wait and look now…and I’ve made money for the teams that kept a ‘buy back option’ on players”…He did the same with Arizmendi ‘You don’t play at Atletico? Then go to Deportivo’ and now he’s in the National Team and Atletico will likely buy him back’ The results are there…”
Yes. And Arbeloa is another example…there’s many like it. So that’s gotta mean something obviously.
Well Luis, get well soon and we hope to see you soon…wherever you want to be at
Thank you very much.
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