Press conference with Xavi Hernandez and Oriol Romeu ahead of Barcelona’s UCL game against Royal Antwerp. Xavi spoke about the team’s objective, Van Bommel, Ronald Araujo, improvements in the europe, Pedri, Ferran Torres and the Joãos.
Barcelona will begin their 28th UEFA Champions league campaign against Belgian side Royal Antwerp. This fixture will also be their first UCL in Barcelona’s temporary home ground Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where we have seen them win their both league games against Real Betis (5-0) and Cadiz (2-0).
Here is what Xavi had to say ahead of the game;
Xavi on the team’s objective:The objective is to finish first in the group stage, after that we will try our best in the knockout rounds.
Xavi on Van Bommel: He is a great friend of mine, he is doing a wonderful job at Antwerp. I’m looking forward to playing against him.
Xavi on Ronald Araujo: We have decided that we will not rush him for the game tomorrow, he will be available for the game against Celta on Saturday.
Xavi on improvements in Europe : Of course there are things we need to improve in Europe, the players are excited to play in the Champions League.
Xavi on Ferran Torres: I am not surprised with his performance on the pitch because I see the quality and intensity he puts in training sessions.
Xavi on Pedri: Pedri is working hard to return, he will come back soon but we can’t give any exact date on his return.
Xavi on Cancelo and Felix: Joao Felix has shown a lot of character in his first few days at Barca and that is why he started against Betis. We will see what will happen tomorrow.
Cancelo provides a lot of quality on the pitch. With Balde and Cancelo, I am very happy with my fullbacks.
It is difficult for me to pick the players that will start tomorrow because they have all been playing at a high level.
Here is what Oriol Romeu had to say ahead of the game;
Romeu on his connection with De jong: On the pitch, he is incredible. He always give you the ball in the right condition, he is one of the best player in Europe.
Romeu on playing in the UCL: It is an extra motivation, seeing the teams competing, it is just special.
Romeu on Felix and Cancelo: They are at the top level. Felix, between the lines, is very good. He also helps the team defensively. Cancelo is a top fullback and he showed it against Betis.
Oriol Romeu: I try to play at my very best, to help my teammates. Everybody knows their role, we have to adapt quickly.
Romeu on Gavi: He is an incredible player, he is always between the lines, well placed. Playing at such a level at his age is really difficult.
End of Xavi’s press conference.
Barcelona are unbeaten against Belgian side (7W, 1D). We hope to see a beautiful gameplay from the Catalan side tomorrow.