Coach Ernesto Valverde highlighted this Monday Barcelona’s extra motivation to win the Champions League, which has not gone to the Camp Nou since 2015.
“It’s another season, another hope. When I look back, I try to see the things that strengthen us. That’s what we need to focus on to make a good start”, he said at a press conference on the eve of his debut in the competition, Tuesday, against PSV Eindhoven.
“We would like to win the competition, obviously we have great hopes. Just like Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester City… And they all have arguments to do it”, said Valverde.
“It is a competition where it is not possible to fail. Even if you don’t fail, it’s possible to lose, so it’s about competing”, added the Catalan coach.
Barça have fallen to the quarter-finals in the last three editions. Even so, he assured that he is not worried about the players’ possible obsession with the trophy: “I like that they have that desire, that they have extra motivation is ideal”.
Regarding Tuesday’s rival, Valverde refused to consider him a weak opponent.
“It seems to me like a good team, young, that attacks well. They have very unbalanced players in attack, with two very interesting sides. We have to be very careful with them,” he warned.
“It is a team that has arguments to create a battle for us and anyone in the group”, concluded Valverde.
NA/AFP