Reuters Pictures Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
on 10 Deecember 2011.
Josep "Pep" Guardiola of FC Barcelona praised his players after winning another trophy at the Club World Cup in Japan:
"Es un honor y un privilegio entrenar este grupo de personas. Hemos jugado un gran partido al fútbol y lo ha visto todo el mundo... Ganar 13 de 16 títulos habla por sí solo... Vimos cinco o seis partidos del Santos y sabíamos que había que prepararse cuando Neymar coge el balón". {Marca}
"It's an honor and privilege to manage this group of persons. We played a great game of football and the whole world saw it. To win 13 out of 16 titles speaks for itself... We saw five or six games of Santos and we knew how to prepare when Neymar had the ball."
Lionel Messi, one of the stars in Yokohoma, provided the secret to Barcelona:
"We were more superior to them because we have great players. Everything is easier with these players." {Ole.com.ar}
Neymar of Santos FC showed uncommon maturity in his post-match comments:
"No sé si son imbatibles, pero hoy en día es el mejor equipo del mundo. Hoy hemos aprendido a jugar al fútbol. Tienen jugadores fantásticos y hoy hemos aprendido una lección que llevarnos a Brasil". {Marca}
"I don't know if they are unbeatable but right now Barca is the best team in the world. Today, we learned how to play football. They have fantastic players and today we had a lesson that we'll take to Brazil."
Sandro Rosell, President of FC Barcelona, defers to Guardiola on the Neymar question:
¿Fichar a Neymar? Ésa es una pregunta para el entrenador. Yo sólo soy el presidente. No he hablado con él. Estamos pensando en esta temporada". {Marca}
"The signing of Neymar? It's a question for the manager. I'm only the President. I haven't spoken with him. We're thinking about this season."
Rai, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 1994 (and the brother of Socrates) succinctly summed up the Japanese experience of Santos FC:
"El 0-4 va a hacer muy bien para el fútbol brasileño. Será una derrota que servirá. Lo que ha hecho el Barça es una provocación para el fútbol brasileño de cómo se tiene que jugar técnicamente". {Marca}
"The 0-4 is going to be very good for Brazilian football. It will be a defeat that will serve (a purpose). What Barcelona did is a provocation for Brazilian football how you have to play technically."
Carlos Bianchi, a famous Argentinean manager, had no doubts about Barcelona's and Lionel Messi's place in history:
"Su demostración de fútbol colectivo para aplastar al Santos en la final del Mundial de Clubes me da confianza como para emitir una sentencia: estamos ante el mejor equipo de la historia... Messi es superior a Maradona y a Pelé". {Marca}
"Barca's demonstration of collective football that crushed Santos in the Club World Cup final gives me confidence to make a declaration: The best team in history is before us... Messi is better than Maradona and Pele."
Xavi of FC Barcelona discussed the playing philosophy of FC Barcelona:
"Hemos hecho un partidazo, hemos dominado del primer al último minuto. Ha sido excelente. Estoy feliz, no sólo por el resultado y por el título, sino por cómo hemos jugado al fútbol. Hemos dado nuestra mejor cara, hemos dominado al Santos con nuestra filosofía, con nuestra manera de jugar y que en el equipo titular 9 de los 11 jugadores fueran de la cantera. Es un espectáculo estar en este equipo". {Marca}
"We had a great game. We dominated from from the first to the last minute. It was excellent. I'm happy. Not only for the result and the title, but also for how we played football. We put on our best face. We dominated Santos with our philosophy, with our way of playing and that nine of the eleven starters were from our 'cantera' (youth academy). It's spectacular to be in this team."
Jose Mourinho congratulated and perhaps offended Barcelona and reminded everyone of the quality of his own side:
"Un fracaso no es ser líderes, llegar a semifinales de Champions, ganar la Copa, haber sido el mejor equipo ahora en la fase de grupos...Si este Real Madrid jugara en otra Liga la ganaba fácil". {Marca}
"It's much more important to win the Champions League than those two little games. By all means, I salute Barcelona...
It's a disaster not to be top of the table, to arrive at the semifinals of the Champions League, to win the Cup, to have been the best team in the group phase...
If this Real Madrid team played in any other league, it would win easily."
Dani Alves shot back at Mourinho and praised his own manager, Pep Guardiola:
"Nunca escucharemos del Real Madrid palabras como las de Neymar, no son suficientemente humildes para hacerlo. Para jugar estos partidillos hay que ganar la Champions, lo hemos hecho y hemos ganado los dos partidillos. La envidia es mala... Guardiola es el corazón de este equipo y de este club". {Marca}
"We'll never hear words like Neymar's from Real Madrid. They aren't humble enough to do it. To win these 'little games' you have to win the Champions League. We did it and we won both 'little games.' The envy is bad...
(Pep) Guardiola is the heart of this team and this club."
Spanish football journalist, Sid Lowe, commented about tennis star, Rafael Nadal's, departure from the ownership of Mallorca:
"La familia Nadal vende sus acciones en el Mallorca .... dice mucho". {Twitter}
"The Nadal family sold their shares in Mallorca.... That says a lot."
Did you see other of quotes of interest? Please contact me @worldfootballcm on Twitter.
Fixture List for Liga BBVA 2011/2012 (PDF)
Steve Amoia is a freelance writer, book reviewer and translator from Washington, D.C. He is the publisher of World Football Commentaries and The Soccer Translator. He has written and translated for AC Cugini Scuola Calcio (Italian soccer school), Beyond the Pitch, Football Media, Italian Soccer Serie A, Keeper Skool, Serie A Weekly and Soccerlens.
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