Real Betis vs Barcelona preview - Guardiola: I did my best
Posted Saturday, May 12, 2012 by PA
Departing Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola believes he did the best job he could as he prepares for his final Primera Division match in charge against Real Betis.
It has been a campaign of ups and downs for the Catalan club, who lost their league title to Real Madrid and missed out on a place in the Champions League final but still claimed silverware in the Spanish Supercopa, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Barca can look forward to the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao in a fortnight, but this game marks Guardiola's last league match as he prepares to step aside at the end of the season following four years in charge.
And although he admits he has not always got things right, he nevertheless feels he can be proud of his achievements.
"When the season comes to an end, you look back to see if everything went well or if you could have done things in any other way," Guardiola said in a press conference.
"From the first day in charge, I learned I could make mistakes.
"I have many regrets but to err is part of the learning process.
"I'm not ashamed of how I've done things, although I have the feeling I'm going to miss this."
Although there is nothing left to play for in the league, with Barca assured of second place, Guardiola insists he will not treat the Betis match any differently even with the cup final looming.
"We will not change our habits simply because it's the last game before the cup final," he said.
"We want to go into the final on a high level because Athletic are a demanding team.
"There are still two weeks to go and we will travel to Seville to put on a good performance. We can use this as preparation for what is to come."
Barcelona will face Betis without goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto, who sprained his right ankle during training.
Defender Carles Puyol will undergo knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, while Alexis has a thigh injury.
David Villa and Eric Abidal are long-term absentees but Seydou Keita has recovered from a sore calf in time for the match.
Betis are playing for little more than pride having already made certain they will finish above the bottom three.
Midfielder Nelson believes it has been a positive season for the Seville club.
"I'm very happy because the club asked for a goal (avoiding relegation) and we succeeded in advance," he said on www.realbetisbalompie.com.
"The squad are in good shape and we have shown we can compete with the best.
"For next season, I suspect our aims will be similar to this one.
"We have a good team but it's perhaps too soon to be talking about the Europa League or the Champions League."
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