Guardiola: “Each game serves as preparation for the final”

The Barça manager is very pleased with the attitude of his players after the team beat Rayo Vallecano 7-0 at Vallecas. The manager says that the remaining games in La Liga will serve his team to prepare for the final of the King’s Cup on May 25th.

Guardiola praised Pinto’s performance: “Like always, he played very well”.



Josep Guardiola said that this Sunday’s match against Rayo Vallecano was “a demonstration” of what type of team Barça have been in recent years. “A football game is always useful for a lot of things. We know that Madrid are champions [of La Liga], and that this match was a demonstration of what this team is and have been. My players played a very serious game and they were on form throughout the whole match,” he said.

He added: “the team ran a lot, and they played a serious game against a team that’s fighting to stay in the Primera División. The players know that we’re preparing ourselves for a final and that everything has its worth. Every match counts.” Guardiola also said that his players are pleased after having scored seven goals in today’s game. “I have the impression that we have scored a lot of goals over the years. They are all welcome,” he said.

Pedro, with two goals, was one of Barça’s most lethal men in tonight’s match. The Barça manager highlighted the Spaniard’s performance: “I appreciate him a lot. We started in Third Division together, and I know him well. It’s true that his injuries have stopped him from playing more this season. I’m very pleased with his performance, for his two goals, and for the passes he gave. Also, for the way he moved on the pitch.”

He also talked about why he included José Manuel Pinto in today’s starting line-up: “if he’s on form he’ll play the final. Therefore, I prefer that he gets a bit of playing time on a pitch that’s not very easy to interpret. Like always, he played very well.”

On his decision to leave the Club next season, Guardiola said that Barça is his home: “it’s my home, and in the end I knew that it was over. The Club is healthy, and the team is young, Tito knows them perfectly and I’m convinced that Barça will compete for everything.”

Lastly, the Barça manager apologized to Rayo Vallecano’s fans for Thiago and Alves’ celebration after Barça’s fifth goal. “It won’t happen again,” said Guardiola. (via FCBarcelona.com)