Still focussed on the title, Barca players are more determined than ever.


FC Barcelona players spoke in the post match press conference after sealing off a brilliant weekend at Camp Nou with victory in the last match. Bojan, Iniesta, Deco and Sylvinho had things to say:


Bojan:

I think the most important thing is to win and stay alive in the three competitions. We’re in a situation where the result is more important. We must be patient. We’ll soon start playing well. Madrid could have dropped some points today but the most important thing was for us to win. Villarreal are difficult on their own ground. We’ll try and get a good result in the first leg.

Iniesta:

Three more points. We tried to score a second goal but it wasn’t to be.mRacing deserve to be where they are in the table. They like to play the ball around and they’re difficult to break down. I want to play. Obviously, the further up field I play, the more comfortable I feel. But if I’m in the chosen eleven, I’m happy. We can’t be saying where Madrid will slip up. We’re in this situation because we dropped points. Now we have to win our matches and wait for them to lose. I hope that the experience of the league match we played in Villarreal will help us in the Cup.

Deco

The result was the best thing in the match. Racing played well on the counterattack and made it difficult for us to create because they defended very well. Madrid are doing well but we have to focus on winning our matches. It’s good that we’re gradually recovering our injured players.

Sylvinho :

We found it hard to break down the Racing defence but we finally got three important points. It was a good match for the coaches. It was a very tactical match. They set out to control the game tactically and it was hard for us to create chances. Henry needs time to recover fully but now you can see that he’s very strong and he’s contributing a lot. Messi is a player that makes a difference. The team feels it when he’s got the ball. He brings quality and makes the team play better. Villarreal are difficult opponents. It’ll be an evenly balanced tie but we have the slight advantage of playing the second leg at home. Pinto works very hard. He brings a lot to the team both as a professional and as a person. I wish him luck at Barça.

The FC Barcelona players all have been delighted about the 3 points gained. It was an important victory that keeps them in pole position.


Here are a few comments made by some of the Barca players after the match:


José Edmílson:

After the second goal we dropped out rhythm a bit. When they made it 2-1, Depor became stronger. The most important thing are the three points. Now we are focussed on Real Zaragoza.
At the end I felt a bit tired. While I carried out my defensive duties, during the first half we had the chances to go ahead.
Every team who comes here attempts to play their own style. We have been able to remain calm, but the important thing is to continue along this line.

Leo Messi

The most important thing was to win. It is vital to have the three points. It has been difficult to find a way through and my goal made that easier. After that we saw a lot of the ball and played almost too much as well as relaxing, which meant we did not attack in the same way. I am happy to keep scoring goals, but what was important was that we won and stay at the top.

Andrés Iniesta

We did not finish the game off and we suffered towards the end. But we have the three points in the bag. The team did not relax because we had several chances, but Depor certainly improved. We did what we had to and we have to see with what results our rivals come up with. What is crucial is that we have done our job.This week I have played twice and it's been hard. Also, this was a very physical game, but I am pleased.

Víctor Valdés

They have come at us on the counter and some very fast and strong players. We knew that we had to stay calm at all times. It is important that we won despite letting Deportivo score a goal. Now there are ten finals left in the league and we have the cup too and we are fully focussed to go for both.

In celebration of the recently conquered league title, Barça players and coaches have left the Camp Nou to share their delight with thousands of supporters around Barcelona City.


At about 18.00, Barça's open top bus left the Camp Nou to parade around the most emblematic streets of the city. One million of supporters gathered around the stadium, decked out in Barça colours and waving flags. The roller hockey team, who have just won the CERS Cup, followed behind in a second coach, while an orchestra played the music for the occasion in a third.


Big party in Barcelona to celebrate the Spanish Championship. All Barça players and their supporters are thinking now of another dream called.... Paris!


fcbarcelonablog has lived the party and show all of you some pictures:

Despite the great achievement of winning against Milan at San Siro, the Barça players are very confident but are not getting carried away. It is not over now and there are still 90 very difficult minutes to be played at Camp Nou.
the Barça player´s all would be proud of representing FC Barcelona at the Champions League Final in Paris. It was an encouraging display and massive result for Barça. Barça had approached the game intelligently, defended well in the first half and found plenty of space in the second.


Following you will find comments made by the Barca stars right after the match:


Ronaldinho:

"The team played a great game. We played well and knew how to take advantage of the spaces we found. There are still ninety more minutes to play and we have to keep up this line of work. Barça played intelligently. In the first half, we defended well and we controlled the ball well. In the second half we created more goalscoring chances. We have to stay respectful of Milan because they are a great team. I don't see Paris, I see the Camp Nou and a very strong Milan."


Carles Puyol:
We are aware that there is still another game to played against one of the best teams in Europe. The whole team has worked hard and that is the key to winning games like these. It was an important win at a difficult venue and that gives us confidence because we haven't won anything yet. I have my way of playing, and know what we need to do to qualify. If in the return leg I have to commit a foul so the team wins, I'll do it, even if it means I miss the final."


Ludovic Giuly:

"The tie is going pretty well, but there are 90 minutes still to play. The team has won an important game, and was very well organised. For the goal, Ronaldinho sent me an amazing pass. The goal was important for the team. I am happy because I had not scored for a long time and have scored an important goal for my team and that's good for confidence. In the first half, we worked very hard. Physically we were very strong. In the second half we finished off the job well. The second half was ours. We played more calmly and were physically stronger."


Samuel Eto'o:
"We still have the return leg and need to work hard for it. Today was nothing definite. We have the upper hand but we have to go carefully because nothing is definitive in football. We suffered what we had to in this game and now we are prepared to suffer in the next game. It will be very difficult and we have to go all out for it. We also had chances to score and didn't take them, that's football. Tactically we were able to do what we wanted. We worked very hard. The tie is not yet decided. We have an advantage, but nothing is definite."


Víctor Valdés:

"We played a pretty good game, very tactical and practical, dominating possession of the ball, and it worked out pretty well. It was important for us to control the way they came forward in the first half because they came out very strong, while in the second half we were able to move the ball around more. We knew about their statistics in home games. They are a strong team that can create lots of goalscoring opportunities. We have to be realistic about things, there are 90 minutes left. But we are confident we can get through the round."

Barça is very close to win the Spanish Pimera Liga Championship. The three points won against Villarreal leave the league title within touching distance. FC Barcelona needs only 5 points out of the remaing 5 matches and this only when their toughest opponents Real Madrid and Valencia do not drop a point. Therefore the players can now look and concentrate fully on their two Champions League semi final matches against AC Milan.


Speaking just minutes after the final whistle on Friday night against Villareal at Camp Nou the player´s had the following to say:


Víctor Valdés:

A professional always wants to win. Today, the result was important apart from the game and the spectacle. I hope the injuries to Larsson and Ezquerro are not serious. They are players who have given everything. Arzo did a fast shot inside the box and I was able to react in time. Im happy with the way things are going on a personal level and for the team. Tomorrow we can start to talk about Milan. As far as semi-finals are concerned, they've got more experience than us. We have to be careful because the Italians play slowly and then end up scoring. There are no secrets to this team: humility, work and a desire to win every match.

Gio van Bronckhorst:

It was an important match and we won 1-0. They are three vital points to win the league. Against Real Madrid and against Malaga, we had a lot of chances but we drew. Today we had chances and Eto'o scored a cracker. We have respect for every team we play. We have to play with great concentration against Milan to get a good result before the home leg. We want a win or a draw against Milan.

Oleguer Presas:

We had possession of the ball. We've played a lot of matches this season. It's a physical effort and this leads to fatigue and tiredness. It's normal that there are injuries. It happens to all teams. It was important to get the three points and we managed it.

Andrés Iniesta:

We'll go to Milan with respect and to get a good result. We have to concentrate hard and keep in mind that the tie lasts 180 minutes. All games are important. Today's win is very important. We've taken a big step forward.

Mark Van Bommel:

I suffered a bit more on the wing today. We need five points and there are five matches left. If we play with concentration we are close to the league title.

Edmilson:

We're very focussed in all our matches. We don't make any difference between the league and the Champions League. When we win 1-0 we have to control the match and thats what we did. There's a month to go before the end of the season so it's normal that there are injuries. But we have work so there aren't any more as we're a bit concerned because a lot of players are injured. As professionals, we have to rest because we must be capable of sacrifice if we want to enter into the history of Barca. After four weeks out I felt fine and confident.