Víctor Valdés: “It will be a thrilling final”

The Barça keeper expects an entertaining game in the final against el Santos because “the teams have very similar qualities”.

Valdés said Villa’s injury “was the negative side to a day that should have been special and historic”.

"It is the finally everybody expected" said Víctor Valdés after playing his 100th international match for Barça against Al-Sadd, and he is very much looking forward to Sunday's Club World Cup final against Santos. He believes that "the teams have very similar qualities, and styles as well. They like to keep the ball and create chances ... It will be a thrilling final, with lots of goalscoring chances for both teams." He will have a special eye on Neymar, one of the biggest dangers in the Santos team. "He is an important player. He has so much talent, so it will be important to analyse him and be careful with their attacking moves."

As for the game with Al-Sadd, the keeper said "it was bit cold because of the atmosphere. We tried to impose our intensity, our rhythm. And they gave us the ball and it was a lot more placid than we expected."

Bad news about Villa

Valdés said that the injury to Villa "is the bad news on a day that should have been special and historic ... I dedicate the win to him and we'll try to dedicate a win in the final to him as well."

Thiago:

"We wish Villa all the very best and we'll be there to support him."

"He has to think about getting fit again as soon as possible."

"I have never seen anything bad about the team. We are holding ourselves, growing year by year and we never lose our ambition."

Adriano:

"Villa is very upset about the injury. With luck it'll all work out well and he'll be back with us soon."

"There are no favourites in finals. They have a very good team. We'll have to be 100% in order not to be surprised." (via FCBarcelona.cat)