Getty ImagesThe X Men: Xabi Alonso and Xavi in action last week at the Bernabeu.
Match Highlights from Last Week
We have quotes by Josep Guardiola, Jose' Mourinho, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas.
Josep Guardiola of FC Barcelona
Reuters Pictures "Si hacemos algo parecido a lo que pasó con Figo es que no hemos aprendido la lección. El culé está muy arrepentido de cómo nos comportamos con él. El fútbol es un juego, no podemos olvidarnos. Que la gente venga a animarnos y a estar a nuestro lado. Viene el Real Madrid no un jugador o un entrenador determinado. Me dolería que el estadio no estuviese como en los mejores días. Nos vamos a tomar el partido muy en serio. Tenemos que estar todos juntos."
On the Reception at Camp Nou for Real Madrid
"If we do something as happened to Luis Figo, then we haven't learned a lesson. Barcelona fans are very repentant for how we behaved with him. Football is a game. We can't forget that.
Fans should come and cheer us on and be at our side. Real Madrid is coming. Not a player or certain coach. It would pain me if our stadium wasn't like in the best times. We're going to take the game very seriously. We all have to be united."
"Hemos de ir a jugar. Hay que hacer las cosas bien. Hay en cosas que son mejores que nosotros, a la contra son mejores que nosotros. Intuyo que el Madrid nos va a meter un gol, tendremos que marcar nosotros también. Son muy peligrosos jueguen como jueguen, aprieten arriba o nos esperen muy atrás".
"Algún día seguro que lo haré, seguramente cuando ya no seamos entrenadores. Sería un placer cenar con Mourinho." {Marca, 24 Jan. 2012}
"We have to come out playing. We have to do things well. They do some things better than us and on counters, they are better than we are. I perceive that Real Madrid is going to score a goal. We'll also have to score. They are very dangerous playing as they play. They make things hard for us up top or wait for us further back."
On Breaking Bread with Mourinho:
"Surely one day it will happen. Surely when we are no longer managers. It would be a pleasure to dine with Mourinho."
"No respondo a las ruedas de prensa de otros entrenadores. No tengo nada que decir. Si ha dicho que es involuntario él sabrá. Eso lo sabe él. Si ha dicho que es involuntario, pues involuntario".
"No hace falta que Messi gane Mundiales ni marque más de mil goles para demostrar lo que es".
Su gran fuerza es la regularidad, ha vuelto a encontrarse con el gol, le irá bien. Es su alma, ya no le afectan los comentarios, su vida es el campo de fútbol, todo lo exterior le afecta relativamente". {Marca, 21-22 Jan. 2012}
On Pepe:
"I don't respond to press conferences of other managers. I have nothing to say. If he (Pepe) said that it was involuntary (the stamp on Messi), he'll know it. He knows it. If he said it was involuntary, then it was involuntary.
On Pele's Comments about Lionel Messi last week:
Messi doesn't need to win three World Cups or score over 1000 goals to demonstrate who he is. His great strength is his continuity. He returned to find goals and he'll do it well. It's his domain. What's written doesn't affect him. His life is the football pitch. Everything away from it doesn't really concern him."
Jose' Mourinho of Real Madrid
Reuters Pictures On Rumors that he will leave Madrid in June:
"¿Lo he dicho yo? Pregunta a tu compañero."
"Did I say that? Go ask your colleague."
On a Mental Block and Clans within the Team:
Sobre un posible bloqueo mental dijo: "Pregunta a los futbolistas".
"Yo no provoco clanes".
About a possible mental block, he said, "Ask the players."
"I don't provoke clans."
"Si Pepe estuviera bien físicamente jugaba. Es duda. Tanto él como Granero y Lass. Están con problemas. Mañana decidiremos... Mi equipo tiene posibilidades de jugar las semifinales. Pero sabemos contra quien jugamos y el resultado que llevamos".
"If Pepe were physically well, he would play. He's in doubt. The same as Esteban Granero and Lass Diarra. They have problems. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we'll decide. My team has a chance to play in the semifinals. But we know who we are playing against and the result that we need."
"Podíamos tener algún punto más de ventaja en la Liga. Tenemos cinco más que el equipo que todos dicen que es el mejor. Eso es que no estamos haciendo las cosas tan mal. Será que no tenemos tantos problemas como la gente dice. Cuando llegamos aquí el club tenia tradición de ser eliminados por equipos inferiores. Ganamos la Copa y cuando llegamos no era ni cabeza de serie en la Champions. Ahora tenemos el récord en la fase de grupos, podemos ser cabeza de serie y somos líderes en el campeonato. No me parece que estemos haciendo las cosas tan mal".
Sobre el equipo de Guardiola comentó: "El Barcelona tiene su juego y sus principios, a pesar de que cambien jugadores. Es un partido difícil". {Marca, 24 Jan. 2012}
"We can have another advantage point in the league. We have five points more than the team that everyone says is the best. That means we aren't doing too badly. It will be that we aren't having as many problems as people say. When we (he used first person plural) arrived here, the club had a tradition to be eliminated by lesser teams. We won the Copa del Rey and we weren't even topping the league or Champions League tables. Now we have the record in the group round phase (UCL), we can be the head of the group round and we're winning the league. It doesn't seem to me that we're doing too badly."
"Barcelona has its play and principles despite having to change players. It's a difficult game."
"La estadística está ahí, en 2012 hemos encajado dos goles a balón parado contra el Málaga, uno en Mallorca y otro contra el Barcelona, son demasiados". {Marca, 21 Jan. 2012}
On Pepe:
"If Pepe publicly said it was intentional and tells me as well, the truth would bother me. But he said that it wasn't intentional and I believe him... Last year, I didn't see you (journalists) doubt that a player made racist comments (Sergio Busquets) and denied it. Everyone believed that it was the truth including UEFA. Now, Pepe says that isn't intentional."
"The numbers say that in 2012, we have conceded two goals off set pieces against Malaga, one in Mallorca and the other against Barcelona. Those are too many."
"No pasa nada, no es un problema, nunca me ha pasado. Zidane ha sido pitado aquí, Ronaldo, Cristiano que es Bota de Oro también... ¿Por qué no puedo ser pitado aquí?". {Marca, 22 Jan. 2012}
"Cada club tiene su cultura y su historia. No he nacido madridista. Soy un profesional del fútbol. No he pedido yo entrenar al Madrid, ha sido el Madrid quien me ha pedido que le entrene. {Diario Sport, 22 Jan. 2012}
On Being Whistled by Madrid fans at Bernabeu last week:
"Nothing happened. It's not a problem. It never happened to me before. Zidane was whistled here, Ronaldo (O Fenomeno), Cristiano Ronaldo who is the Golden Boot winner as well. Why can't I be whistled at by the fans here?"
"Each team has its own culture and history. I wasn't born a Madrid fan. I'm a football professional. I didn't ask to manage Madrid. It was Real Madrid who asked me to manage them."
Andres Iniesta of FC Barcelona
"También hemos vivido situaciones aquí que no han sido buenas. Pero es que es líder de la Liga, el miércoles nos jugamos las semifinales de la Copa, están en Champions... No veo más allá. Desde fuera, la situación para ellos es buena, es idílica, no veo otra cosa. Desconozco si hay algo más".
"El año pasado en los clásicos todo fue muy tenso, más de lo que debía. Ahora todos hemos bajado el tono y hemos vuelto a la normalidad. Esto es un deporte, puedes ganar, puedes perder, pero lo que no se puede perder es el respeto a los compañeros".
"We've also experienced situations here that weren't good. But Madrid is leading the league, is playing in the Copa del Rey against us and is in the Champions League. I don't see anything higher. From the outside, the situation for them is good. It's idyllic. I don't see it another way. I don't recognize if there is something more."
"Last year, the clasicos were very tense. More than it ought to be. Now, we've all toned down things and have returned to normalcy. This is a sport. You can win, you can lose, but what you can't lose is the respect of your friends."
"On Pepe:
"La decisión del club es la que es. Las imágenes hablan por sí solas. Para bien y para mal, son las que son. {Marca, 23 Jan. 2012}
"The decision of the club is what it is. The pictures speak for themselves. For the good and the bad. They are what they are."
"Queremos volver a sentir ese placer y esa sensación de cuando eres el mejor. El hambre cada vez es mayor". "Él te dice las razones. Y como jugador cada día aprendes más y empiezas a tomar tus propias decisiones dentro del campo". "Ya nos conocían y se encerraban atrás. La idea del 3-4-3 es que seamos más ofensivos y que tengamos más posesión de la pelota. Tienes que correr mucho más y al final de los partidos notas que estas más cansado". {Marca, 23 Jan. 2012 via a FIFA.com interview.}
"We want to return to that pleasure and sensation to be the best. Each time, there is more hunger."
On Guardiola:
"He tells you the reasons. And as a player, each day you learn more and begin to make your own decisions on the pitch."
"Our opponents know us and set up (to close them down) behind the ball. The idea of the 3-4-3 is that we are more offensive and have more possession of the ball. You have to run a lot more (as a defender) and at the end of the games, you notice that you're more tired."
Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid
"Quien diga que el vestuario está dividido o existe alguna fractura, miente. Existe un gran grupo y hay una gran unión. Trabajando juntos llegarán los éxitos".
"Victoria súper importante la de ayer, gran partido del equipo y 3 puntos más. Ahora toca de nuevo pensar en la Copa del Rey. Vamos Madrid!!".
"A lo largo de mi carrera, jamás he faltado el respeto a ningún entrenador. Con esto, desmiento algunas cosas que dicen de mí y yo nunca dije". {Marca, 23 Jan. 2012 via his Twitter feed}
"Whoever says that the dressing room is divided or that there are any splits is lying. A great group exists and there's much togetherness. Working together and the results will arrive. It was a very important victory yesterday. A great game by the team and three more points. Now we have to think again of the Copa del Rey. Let's go Madrid!"
"For my whole career, I've never lacked respect for any manager. With that, I deny a few things said about me and what I never said."
Iker Casillas of Real Madrid"Un día especial con demasiadas emociones y recuerdos. Casualidades de la vida que el primero y el 600 sea ante el Athletic. Es un motivo de alegría para mí porque jamás pensaba llegar a esta cifra. Poder codearme e igualar a gente tan importante como Hierro y Gento es un orgullo." {Marca, 23 Jan. 2012}
On His 600th Madrid Appearance:
"A special day with so many emotions and memories. One of the ironies of life that the first and 600th game was against Athletic. It's a reason for happiness for me because I never thought I'd arrive at this figure. To be able rub shoulders with and equal such important players such as Fernando Hierro and Paco Gento is an honor."
“Vamos a dejarnos la vida para pasar y hacer que los aficionados se sientan orgullosos de su Real Madrid”. {Marca, 24 Jan. 2012}
"We going to leave it all out on the pitch and make the Madrid fans feel pride of their Real Madrid."
Spanish source of quotes: Marca and Diario Sport, 21-24 January 2012.
- North American El Clasico Coverage
- ASK KAKA' by adidas in Washington, D.C.
- FC Barcelona: The Best Team in the World by Adam Howard
- Part 1: "At the Origins of the Phenomenon Mourinho: 'How I Became Special 1' "
- Part 2: "At the Origins of the Phenomenon Mourinho: 'How I Became Special 1' "
The Soccer Translator Home | Follow on Twitter
