Stu Montagu asking the questions | |
Just when you thought that the series was long dead they bring it back for excitement, tear-jerking moments and slurred monologues from leather faced Italian-Americans. That’s right folks, the Rocky of the football features World is back and better than ever, and doesn’t need to parade around at Goodison to promote itself neither.
Sleeping With The Enemy has gone continental in preparation for the Champions League tie in Barcalona so sit back with a San Miguel, order yourself some Paella and..erm…fight a bull as we gather the opinion from Catalonia. Dani Ferrer from Barcelona.Soccer24-7.com takes us through drunken Spaniards, monkey noises and Liverpool giants.
So, what was your reaction when you found out you were drawn against Liverpool?
I thought it's gonna be a tough round. But then I looked at the other choices and I said to myself: "what did you expect?" We finished second in our group, so Liverpool is not that bad. I would've preferred Bayern, though.
Who do you think are going to be the most important players for Barcelona and who will be the weak links?
Our most decisive players are playing forward. Their names are Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi. Deco and Puyol are also very important. Deco gives balance to our midfield, and Puyol is the boss.
Weak links? Eto'o's form. I think Messi will be ready for the first game, but I'm not that sure with Eto'o. Then again, our defence has been inconsistent the last few games, but I think it also has something to do with Eto'o and Messi's absence. Well, that and Marquez's form. Messi and Eto'o are great at attack, but they also work hard by defending and bring a lot confidence to the team.
The defensive midfield position has also been controversial. Neither Edmilson nor Motta are having a good season so far in that position.
Similarly, who are you thinking will be the men who could win the game for Liverpool and who do you think might be weaker?
Gerrard: he is your Ronaldinho. I'm surprised with your giant, Crouch. He's got more ability than a player his height is supposed to. I think he is one of the most dangerous players in this match-up against Barcelona. We also have to be careful with long distant shots, especially from Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Riise.
Weak links? Maybe your defence? Was it accidental what happened against Arsenal? I hope not.
What is the general feel around the club at the moment with regards to the manager and the team and is this issue with Eto’o and Ronaldinho a problem?
This problem is now solved. I don't think it will affect negatively our performance at all. Maybe it will do the contrary, because it seems the whole team dealed with this crisis very well, so it can even bring more unity to the group.
How do the Barcelona fans think of Benitez?
I don't know what Barcelona fans think of him, generally speaking. I can give my personal opinion. I think his teams are quite boring, but also very solid. Valencia was a tough team to play against when he was their coach, and Liverpool looks the same. But Benitez's teams are not very offensive, and while they are solid in defence, they struggle with having easy victories against weak sides. But against the big important teams it's different. We saw it when they won the CL two years ago.
A lot of Liverpool fans find Luis Garcia a frustrating player. He can have moments of pure genius but can also give the ball away more that anyone on the planet. He divides opinion greatly; how did the Barcelona fans feel about him and how did they react when he left?
He had a good season before signing for Liverpool, but not great. We don't see him as a prodigal son because he only played for us that season, and we were in the middle of a process with deep changes. He didn't spend time enough with us. That season, he played 'false' right winger, but then we signed Giuly, Eto'o and Larsson, so after Liverpool's offer, everybody understood his departure. I think he is good at many things, but not a specialist in any.
What is the general opinion in Spain of the Spanish players that play for Liverpool?
I think we're generally proud of them, because even if Spain has one of the toughest championships, Spanish players have struggled a lot to succeed when they've gone abroad. Players for example like Mendieta, Martin Vazquez, De la Peña come to mind... they looked much better in our championship. So now it seems that our players can be very important for clubs like Liverpool. I think Xabi Alonso is the Spanish player who suits better for the Premiership. He is doing great.
Liverpool have recently been linked to Barcelona youngster Dos Santos. How good a prospect is he?
He is really bad! Forget about him!
Now seriously...his style is very similar to Ronaldinho's but he doesn't score that much. But he is physically and technically very good. I think he will succeed at Barça, but let the guy grow up a little...and for Liverpool... mmm... he's not good enough (ahem).
That’s our scouting network thrown off the trail then, cunning. Are there any young stars that we might not know about that we should be looking out for in the next few years?
Not at Barça!
Well yes: Bojan Krkic. You will know him in a couple of years.
It seems that the Barcelona player seem to have a thing for bad hair; who would you say had the worst hair?
Eto'o, for sure.
No chance, He’s not even close to the likes of Puyol, Ronaldinho or Marquez! Any supporters in particular impress you with their wit, enthusiasm and interesting chants recently; and what’s the funniest song you’ve heard?
Well, in Spain, the team with the funniest supporters is Cadiz. Unfortunately, they're playing at Segunda Division this year. They could chant "ole, ole" or "este partido lo vamos a ganar" (we're gonna win this game) when their team was passing the ball to each other while losing 4-0. Their most famous chant, though, is "Alcohol, alcohol, hemos venido a emborracharnos, el resultado nos da igual" (Alcohol, alcohol, we came to get drunk, we don't care about the result). It might not look politically correct in England, but you have to know that these supporters are among the most pacific and friendly in our country. Supporters from other teams mix with them at their own stadium because everyone is welcome. It's a fiesta over there.
Class. Who are the fans that you have most disliked over the past year and why?
I wouldn't like to point out a club. I think any exhibition of violence shouldn't be allowed, and that includes monkey chants. I don't know what causes things like what recently happened in Italy. We should give it a break. It's just a game. There's many thing much more important than football. For example: ethnic values.
Who is the Barcelona player most liked for things other than his ability such as his attitude, his love for the club etc?
I would say Puyol. He showed he is the leader of this team with the Eto'o crisis. He doesn't mess with politics, he is very professional and a very intelligent and generous person. That's the best you can expect from a captain.
Where would you recommend the travelling Liverpool fans go for the best atmosphere after the game?
Far, very far!
Now seriously, it depends on what you're looking for. I think Las Ramblas is something unique.
And finally; what will the score be in the first leg and also over the two games?
Barça - Liverpool 2-0
Liverpool - Barça 2-1
Cheers for that Dani, Adios.
Dani Ferrer is from barcelona.soccer24-7.com
