Guardiola keeps focus on Barca

Posted Wednesday, April 28, 2010 by PA

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola chose to put the mind games employed by Jose Mourinho to one side ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg at the Nou Camp.

Guardiola led Barca to a historic haul of six trophies in his first year in charge but the Catalans' hopes of repeating last season's Champions League success are in the balance after they lost 3-1 at Inter Milan last week.

It was the first time a Guardiola-led Barca had lost a match by two goals and the Catalans will need a stirring fightback to advance to the final, which takes place at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu on May 22.

Mourinho spoke of Barca's obsession of winning the title at their fierce rivals' home ground.

But the Barca coach, who worked with Mourinho when the Portuguese coach was an assistant to Sir Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal at the Nou Camp, believes his players must focus on their own game.

"It's a game of football, not a magic night, and we have to be ourselves - we will go out and try to generate as many chances as we always do," he said.

"We don't know if we are capable of turning this around but we will give everything against a great team to try and get to the final.

"Inter doesn't matter, nor their great coach, nor their marvellous players - the only thing that matters is we are ourselves."

Guardiola was Barcelona captain when Mourinho worked at the Catalan club and the 39-year-old says he could not have imagined the Portuguese coach would go on to become one of the top managers in the game.

"I didn't know he was so talented - I didn't have this view and I have to say that had I seen it at the time, I would have told the president to keep him here," the Barca coach revealed.

Mourinho has since become something of an unpopular figure at the Nou Camp after inciting the Catalan fans prior to Champions League clashes as coach of Chelsea and now Inter, but Guardiola says the 47-year-old could go on to coach Barca.

"Maybe in the future he can come and train this club," he said.

For the moment, Guardiola reminded his players they are in a privileged position.

"We are here in a Champions League semi-final and we don't know when we might be back, so we have to make the most of it," he said.

"We are excited and looking forward to the game, in the most prestigious competition in Europe at club level, with a full stadium - people stop you in the street and cheer you on and that inspires you.

"It is wonderful to be in a profession where people talk about your work all the time, it's an honour, the most special thing there is - film directors and authors would be delighted if people spoke about their films or books all the time."

Eric Abidal and Andres Iniesta are set to miss out through injury.

Mourinho claims Barcelona's aim of winning the Champions League at the home of their bitter rivals Real Madrid has become an unhealthy obsession.

Mourinho also says a first European Cup title since 1965 would be a dream for the Italian side.

But for the Catalans, champions in 1992, 2006 and last year, a triumph next month at the Santiago Bernabeu, home of Barca's fiercest adversaries, has more to do with obsession than a dream, according to the former Chelsea coach.

He said: "When we came here in November (in the groups stages, when Barca won 2-0), the fans were already singing `we're going to Madrid'.

"What I want to say to my players is to follow the dream, not make it an obsession, because for us this is a dream and not an obsession - for Barcelona it's not a dream, it's an obsession.

"A dream is about pride and my players will be very, very proud to reach the final in Madrid, Moscow, London or wherever, but for them it is different - they reached the dream by winning the final in Rome, by winning the final in Paris. Now it's an obsession.

"And the obsession is called Madrid and Santiago Bernabeu."

Mourinho added: "It has been more then 40 years since Inter's players have been in a Champions League final, so it is a dream for Inter's players and supporters.

"It's not my personal dream because I have won the Champions League before and even though I want to win it again and again, it's a dream for Inter, not for me."

Holland midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who was reportedly doubtful with a thigh problem, trained normally on Tuesday and Mourinho said the former Madrid man will start.