Guardiola: Anyone can play in final

Posted Tuesday, May 01, 2012 by ESPN

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola said that he will use the remaining La Liga fixtures to give each player a chance to make the starting XI for the Copa del Rey final.

For the 7-0 win against Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona used several new players as the Blaugrana sought to move past a disappointing seven days that saw the announcement of Guardiola's end of season departure, the team's exit from the Champions League and an El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid.

Guardiola had been strongly criticised for being inflexible with his starting XI and for using the same possession-based tactics for which opposing teams appear to have figured out a solution. Even before El Clasico, they struggled against the likes of Levante and Real Zaragoza who had both managed to hold firm against the Catalans and threatened regularly with their swift counter-attacks.

In the run-up to his final games as Barcelona manager, Guardiola appears to have decided to change his methods but instead of bowing to pressure, he insists that he did it in order to give each player an opportunity to prove himself for the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao.

Jose Manuel Pinto took his place in goal for the first time since Barcelona's 2-0 win over Valencia in the semi-final second leg. The Barca manager was very happy with the performance by the backup keeper and by the team in general.

"Like always, he played very well," commented Guardiola.

"If he's on form he'll play the final. Therefore, I prefer that he gets a bit of playing time on a pitch that's not very easy to interpret."

He was also happy with the way that the team bounced back after hearing of his decision to leave the club. He believes that their professionalism will bear them in good stead in the future even after his time at the club comes to a close.

"A football game is always useful for a lot of things. We know that Madrid are champions [of La Liga], and so this match was a demonstration of what this team is and have been.

"My players played a very serious game and they were on form throughout the whole match."

"The team ran a lot, and they played a serious game against a team that's fighting to stay in the Primera División.

"The players know that we're preparing ourselves for a final and that everything has its worth. Every match counts."

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner was also delighted with the comprehensive romp and declared that the team played the way they did in order to give a "present" to their outgoing manager.

"This is a present for the fans and for Guardiola," Cardoner said.

"It was a perfect game where Barça played with tranquility. The team emptied itself and they were very comfortable on the pitch. It was a spectacle once again on this Sunday."

Guardiola also gave a bit more insight on his surprising decision to not renew his contract with the club. He stated that he was comfortable with the decision he took because he feels confident that the club is in a position from where it can develop naturally and even become better over the eyars.

"It's my home, and in the end I knew that it was over. The club is healthy, and the team is young. Tito knows them perfectly and I'm convinced that Barça will compete for everything."