Pique says Spanish Supercup will not be decided in first match

Record ID: 906123

  • Title: Pique says Spanish Supercup will not be decided in first match
  • Date: 12th August 2017
  • Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (AUGUST 12, 2017) (REUTERS) FC BARCELONA PLAYERS ARRIVING TO TRAINING SESSION COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE ARRIVING TO TRAINING PLAYERS ARRIVING TO TRAINING SESSION INCLUDING FORWARD LIONEL MESSI AND STRIKER LUIS SUAREZ VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TRAINING VALVERDE IN TRAINING SESSION VARIOUS OF PLAYERS TRAINING DEFENDER GERARD PIQUE ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM PIQUE'S FACE JOURNALISTS / PIQUE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) FC BARCELONA DEFENDER, GERARD PIQUE, SAYING: "It's always special to play against Real Madrid and more if is in an official match. We start the season in front of our fans, we will try to make a good game, to win we will have to make a great match. We know that the second leg is next Wednesday and that the Super Cup will not be decided tomorrow." PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) FC BARCELONA DEFENDER, GERARD PIQUE, SAYING: "He's a unique player with a very special talent, he has a one on one that I believe nobody has in this sport. It will be difficult to replace him, I believe that more than replacing him we have to make ourselves stronger with the people that come to the team, trying to make a stronger team, more competitive and not looking for a substitute of Neymar because currently none exists in the market." PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) FC BARCELONA DEFENDER, GERARD PIQUE, SAYING: "Surely, he has his reasons, they can be economical or because he wants to be the best player in the world in another team, but we do not have to judge him, he has made this decision and it's a brave decision. He has been here for 4 or 5 years with an extraordinary performance and we must keep that in mind, we never know what he cost when we signed him but was less than the 222 million he left in the box." PLAYERS TRAINING COACH ERNESTO VALVERDE ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM VALVERDE'S FACE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "We are playing for a title and obviously, this game is more serious because of the importance it has and there's no any absolute reference to what may happen tomorrow but it's clear that they want the title just like us." PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, TALKING ABOUT LIONEL MESSI, SAYING: "I see him very well and very focused, he's doing a great pre-season from all points of view of the game and in training and of course we expect the best of him for tomorrow." PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, SAYING: "Regardless of who play we know the potential of their players and we know they have good substitutes, they come from winning the European Super Cup playing a good game but I can only be worried for my players." PLAYERS TRAINING VALVERDE LEAVING NEWS ROOM
  • Embargoed: 26th August 2017 19:21
  • Keywords: Barcelona Supercup Ernesto Valverde
  • Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
  • City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016TUO4SF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Coach Ernesto Valverde will get his first proper taste of the scorching rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid when the two giants of Spanish soccer meet on Sunday (August 13) at the Nou Camp in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
    Barca beat Real 3-2 in a pre-season 'Clasico' friendly in Miami in July but the stakes will be far higher in the Super Cup, the annual curtain raiser in Spain between the Liga champions and King's Cup holders.
    The second leg takes place on Wednesday (August 16) in Madrid.
    Barca have so far failed in their efforts to spend the 222 million euros Paris St Germain paid them for Neymar, seeing bids rejected for Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho and Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele which leave the club racked with doubts before facing a supremely confident Madrid side.
    With Paco Alcacer or Gerard Deulofeu as his only options to join Messi and Suarez in a front three, Valverde may stray from the 4-3-3 formation his predecessor Luis Enrique preferred in order to bolster the midfield to counter Real.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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