Champions League - Guardiola: Barcelona will be daring

Eurosport - Wed, 27 May 19:09:00 2009

Barcelona will play their natural game and not curb their attacking instincts in Wednesday's Champions League final against Manchester United, according to coach Pep Guardiola.

FOOTBALL 2008-09 Champions League - Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola attends a news conference a day before their Champions League final against Manchester United at the Olympic Stadium in Rome - 0

Guardiola's prolific side have already won La Liga and the Copa del Rey and can add the European title to their haul in his first season in charge with victory in Rome, which would be the first treble by a Spanish club.

They have netted 30 goals in 12 matches since the group stage of this year's Champions League and Guardiola said Barca had no intention of adopting a more defensive approach against the Premier League champions.

"I want the players to feel good, to feel beautiful, like they are playing in front of the whole world," the 38-year-old said at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

"I want them to be daring and I want to show the world how good we are. That's our attitude," he added.

"In finals there is always an element that it's all or nothing. You might be afraid to play but this is something we have to leave in the dressing room.

"I would not like to come away thinking we could have done it differently. We are going out there to play our way, to play the ball."

Guardiola cautioned that while the season had gone extremely well so far it could all end badly on Wednesday.

"It's also possible that we'll play poorly and we'll be totally overrun by Manchester United," he said.

"We cannot deny that it has been a fantastic season but it could still finish badly.

"In football things can change very suddenly and the small things can change your life. We have had a good season but there's still a lot to do."

He played down his importance in Barca's success.

"The football is for the players. That's the most important thing. I shout and nobody listens to me," he said.

"I will try to focus on the first half and remain calm. Then I'll give the team the most important words for the second half and try to win."

Asked about the much anticipated showdown between Barca's Argentine forward Lionel Messi and United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, he said: "For me, never mind the opinion about Ronaldo and Messi. Both are marvellous players.

"Messi I am sure is going to play a good game if we get our tactics right. The most important thing is we're going to try to play a good game."

Follow Barcelona v Manchester United LIVE on Eurosport-Yahoo! with kick-off at 19:45 UK time - and pre-match news and gossip all day on Wednesday!

Reuters

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  1. TEVEZ - playing ILLEGALLY for two years.

    Nuff said.

    From ghettovest, on Wed 27 May 7:17PM

  2. fthered, i do apologize, your right the european cup­ and the champ L. arent the same thing but its still­ impressive ;). shame it aint gonna happen the night­ tho. haha

    From njkelly7, on Wed 27 May 6:43PM

  3. It was cald the champions league cup!

    From sascha, on Wed 27 May 6:41PM

  4. WELL I DONT SUPPORT ANY OF THE TEAMS BUT ALL I WANT­ FROM THEM IS A CRAKER FOOTBALL TO KEEP ME ON THE EDGE­ FOR 90 MINS.LET THE GAME­ BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!

    From efozia, on Wed 27 May 6:41PM

  5. nj, that was not the champions league!

    From sascha, on Wed 27 May 6:39PM

  6. SCUM FROM THE NORTH OF ENGLAND,ONLY SUPPORTED BY GLORY­ HUNTERS AND ARM CHAIR FANS WHO HAVE ONLY SEEN THEM LIVE­ ON TV!!!!!!SCUM OF THE NORTH

    From sarah, on Wed 27 May 6:36PM

  7. NJ KELLY, No one has retained THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE­ i'll think you'll find :)

    From fthered25, on Wed 27 May 6:32PM

  8. A Man. U own goal will hand it to barcelona.
    may the­ best team win!

    from franquito.

    From francisgalvez, on Wed 27 May 6:28PM

  9. MES QUE UN CLUB!!

    From stavros h, on Wed 27 May 6:27PM

  10. hate to tell you man u are not goin to be the first­ team to retain it, milan did it in 89 and then 1990,­ plus barca are gonna win :)

    Vamos!!!! Barca!!!!!!!!!

    From njkelly7, on Wed 27 May 6:16PM

  11. f u ck manure

    From dan.neagu, on Wed 27 May 5:50PM

  12. Really ?lol.........Just heard that he is ho-oking up­­ with a nice gi-rl on the inter-esting cl-ub called:­­ ____Tallconnect Co M____, really ? Sounds it is a­­ famoaus on-line service.

    From tina4kiss23, on Wed 27 May 5:40PM

  13. Being a United fan since 1987 i hope that we make­ history by being first club to retain champions league,­ on the other hand i know how good barca are... it is­ the final all neutrels have dreamt off, i think it will­ be a huge spectacle tonight and hope that Evra and­ Rooney down left will close out Messi or if he switches­ to rightside then Park Ji and O'Shea can do the job­ for us, personally i'd like to see Rooney and Evra­ facing him as they both have heart and determination to­ keep him quiet, as for Barca's defense it says alot­ that Pique ( a player that didnt appear much for either­ 1st or reserves when was a united player) if he thinks­ he can keep pace with Ronaldo and perhaps later in game­ with tevez, good luck too him i say .....

    COME ON BOYS

    From fthered25, on Wed 27 May 5:37PM

  14. Much as i'll like to see Barcelona win the trophy,­ the manager is not self confident in him self and of­ the team if truely he made those statements above. He­ showed same attitude against chelsea at the semi's­ when he huged Guiss Hidinck. Anyway, i wish the team­ success.

    From maxadex, on Wed 27 May 5:21PM

  15. Dave Parr - what are you going on about? Moron....

    From garethw56, on Wed 27 May 5:00PM

  16. Longbrittan - can you expand on your comment that­ British mentality is one of arrogance? People complain­ that English teams are full of foreigners and then­ complain that they are arrogant or overly aggressive.­ Are English teams english and arrogant or are they­ foreign and arrogant....either way United will win­ tonight, Barca's defence is no better than­ Rochdales. 2-0 to United, Ronaldo and Rooney one­ apiece.

    From garethw56, on Wed 27 May 4:58PM

  17. stab all the manc @#$%, both on and off the pitch

    From Dave worsell, on Wed 27 May 4:53PM

  18. stab all the manc @#$%, both on and off the pitch

    From Dave worsell, on Wed 27 May 4:52PM

  19. stab all the manc @#$%, both on and off the pitch

    From Dave worsell, on Wed 27 May 4:50PM

  20. barcelona will definately win the champ in rome 2nite­ but it will be 2-0 and a penalty for thienry­ henry.......ah ah ah....up barca 4life

    From samuel, on Wed 27 May 4:35PM
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