In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona attacker Eidur Gudjohnsen talked about the start of the new season.You survived two transfer summers while the club was open to offers and now you're even a starter in league games. What has changed?
Some little details have changed, that nevertheless have been very important for me. Now I feel very much appreciated by the coach and this gives me more confidence. Besides that, I have scored some goals, so the outcome is that I'm now much more relaxed to do my job. I don't go out there each time with the pressure of having to play well no matter what.
Leaving the coach aside, there are more things that have also helped you?
My confidence has grown because I'm also more appreciated by the team. Now I know that I will keep on having my chances when I play well. Not like last season when I always returned to the bench after a good performance. On the other hand, I notice that we're more a group this year and I think that this could lead to a magnificent season.
Before you had to compete with Deco for a spot in the team. It's more easy now the Portuguese has gone?
I wouldn't say that it's more easy these days, but maybe it could have an influence since Deco had some excellent seasons here and was very important to the team. But besides that, we are now all candidates to start a game, while last year the coach already knew his starting team beforehand. Guardiola has warned us that there are no fixed starters this year and that we're all important members of the team.
Rijkaard disappointed you?
Not as a person or as a coach, because I admire him a lot and I have great respect for him, but with his decisions he did disappoint me. When a player doesn't feel appreciated by his coach, that's difficult to understand.
Was there too much relaxation last season?
I think that we all, not only the coach, let things go a little. But now, after two seasons of not winning anything, the hunger for trophies is back and you can see that at the training sessions.
When you have scored, you celebrated it showing the Barcelona shield, why?
It was like saying: "I'm still here and I'm wearing this shirt with a lot of pride". I got quite emotional when I scored against Betis because I needed a goal and because it was decisive for the team.
This is the first part of the interview. The second part will follow tomorrow, with Gudjohnsen talking - amongst other things - about the importance of Guardiola and the ideal position of Henry.
0 Response to "Gudjohnsen (1): "I'm wearing this shirt with pride""