- Title: Barcelona prepare for Cup Final against Sevilla
- Date: 21st May 2016
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (MAY 21, 2016) (REUTERS) FC BARCELONA PLAYERS DURING TRAINING SESSION ON THE PITCH FC BARCELONA FORWARD LIONEL MESSI AND STRIKER LUIS SUAREZ ARRIVING AT TRAINING CAMP FC BARCELONA COACH LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINEZ AND HIS STAFF DURING TRAINING SESSION FC BARCELONA FORWARD NEYMAR ARRIVING AT TRAINING CAMP VARIOUS OF BARCELONA PLAYERS DURING TRAINING SESSION VARIOUS OF LUIS ENRIQUE ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS ATTENDING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, SAYING: "In what final you aren't going to suffer? Even more in a final that you are going to play against a rival which is in a total level of optimism at the moment. They have the qualifications, they have the chances, they also have some injuries, important ones, but if there is something they have shown is that they are a great team that will complicate our lives for sure. I am very optimistic, I think we are going to win but it is going to be tough and our rival will be into the final until the last minute." FC BARCELONA PLAYERS DURING TRAINING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINEZ, SAYING: "For me Leo Messi continues to be the number one, he has had a great season, he has overcome the injury that halted him for two months and has become the best player for me, there is no argument about that. It is also fair to point out not only Luis suarez's performance with great numbers or Neymar, Andres, Busi, Ivan, Dani, Jordi, any of the players of the team because in order to get titles, we need all players." NEYMAR, LUIS SUAREZ AND LIONEL MESSI ON THE PITCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINEZ, SAYING: "I don't like mixing politics with soccer. You have never heard me here speaking about my political inclinations because I actually think that they are not interesting for anybody. Barca is more than a club because of many things, especially because of the idea of an offensive game. I want to speak here about soccer. Apart from that I only ask for respect from everybody." LUIS ENRIQUE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM VARIOUS OF FC BARCELONA MIDFIELDER ANDRES INIESTA ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS ATTENDING PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA CAPTAIN, ANDRES INIESTA, SAYING: "I actually think that the fact that they have just won a trophy is even more dangerous as they have added motivation to win another title no matter how tired they are at the moment." BARCELONA PLAYERS DURING TRAINING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA CAPTAIN, ANDRES INIESTA, SAYING: It would be another step in our history not only as players but also as a club. As you have said, our rival in the last decade has got used to playing and winning finals." ANDRES INIESTA LEAVING THE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
- Embargoed: 5th June 2016 14:19
- Keywords: Barcelona Luis Enrique Andres Iniesta
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IR1YKF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Barcelona will seek their second trophy of the season on Sunday (May 22) when they play the Spanish King's Cup final against an empowered Sevilla that won the 2016 Europa League 3-1 against Liverpool last Wednesday (May 18), thereby winning the trophy for the third successive season.
Barca coach, Luis Enrique said on Saturday (May 21) that it is going to be a tough final but is confident to take the trophy home.
"In what final you aren't going to suffer? Even more in a final that you are going to play against a rival which is in a total level of optimism at the moment. They have the qualifications, they have the chances, they also have some injuries, important ones, but if there is something they have shown is that they are a great team that will complicate our lives for sure. I am very optimistic, I think we are going to win but it is going to be tough and our rival will be into the final until the last minute," he said.
Enrique said that Sevilla's players might be tired after the Europa League final but very motivated to win another final.
Barca's captain Andres Iniesta agreed.
"I actually think that the fact that they have just won a trophy is even more dangerous as they have added motivation to win another title no matter how tired they are at the moment," Iniesta said.
Enrique declined to make comments about a controversy surrounding a ban imposed by a Madrid judge for Barca fans to bring Catalan pro-independence flags into the stadium on Sunday which was then overturned following an appeal by the club.
"I don't like mixing politics with soccer. You have never heard me here speaking about my political inclinations because I actually think that they are not interesting for anybody. Barca is more than a club because of many things, specially because of the idea of an offensive game. I want to speak here about soccer. Apart from that I only ask for respect from everybody."
Barca has won the King's Cup 27 times while Sevilla has won the trophy five times.
The match will be played at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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