The Barça manager believes that his team deserved to have the lead well before Jordi Alba’s last-minute effort against Celtic Glasgow
Zubizarreta: “We need to be proud of this team”
The director of football said that Jordi Alba’s last-minute goal is proof that the players approach their games with the right mentality: “This is a team that wants to win, desires to win, that keeps on trying. We have to be proud.” Andoni Zubizarreta added: “We had a couple of chances to score earlier in the game, but it’s true that when Villa’s shot hit the post on the 90th minute, we all thought the game was over. But these players always bring more.”
Tito Vilanova doesn’t believe his team was lucky to beat Celtic Glasgow despite Jordi Alba’s last-gasp effort in the 94th minute, quite the contrary. The Barça manager said that his men were “unlucky,” especially because they “carried the weight of the game throughout the whole match.” Vilanova also said that Barça’s opponent this Tuesday evening was “very strong and very powerful on the counter,” and he reminded the gathered journalists in the press room that “it’s not easy when 10 of the other team’s players defend in their own area.” He added: “We deserved to have the lead before the last minute.”
The team’s attitude
Vilanova, who thanked the Camp Nou faithful for cheering the team on, is proud of the attitude that his players have shown in every match this season: “This team fights until the end, until the last moment. It’s never easy when big teams close themselves off at the back.”
The manager also talked about his decision to name Marc Bartra to the starting line-up: “I made the decision to field Bartra days ago. I was very sure that Marc would play in this match. I knew that he could help us because he’s fast and very good in the air. If he’s in the first team it’s because I want him here.”
He added: “I’ve very pleased with how the players compete and train, they always have smiles on their faces. That’s sufficient for me.”