Gerard Piqué spoke at press conference before the Champions League semi-final return leg against Chelsea. The defender believes that the Barcelona side “will have our chance to go through if we play like we did at Stamford Bridge. We need to control the match and I’m sure that we’ll have our chance.” Gerard also said that despite the squad playing so many games recently, “when you talk about a Champions League semi-final, fatigue doesn’t influence the team. Being tired is an excuse for losers.”

Despite Saturday’s defeat against Real Madrid, the defender said “we have a great chance to qualify for another final, we have to value this moment.” He also added, “I’m convinced that no Culé doubts this team. We’ve given a lot and the fans are with us. The Camp Nou will be full and [the fans] will cheer us on.”

Asked about criticism directed at the team in recent days, Piqué said that “talk of an end of an era comes easy here. A team that has won 13 out of 16 titles deserves a bit more credit. We have to wait for another team to win as much as we have until all this talk is confirmed.” Just as Pep Guardiola did on Saturday, Piqué congratulated Madrid for their win in the Clásico: “they’ve had a fantastic season, especially in the Liga. I want to congratulate them and say that we’ll be here next year.”

Asked about his absence in the starting XI and not playing in Barça’s last two matches against Chelsea and Madrid, the defender explained, “it’s a relatively new situation for me, I’m used to playing, but it’s a technical decision and I have to respect it and work as hard as I can to be in the starting team.”  Piqué underlined that he has “accepted the decision with professionalism. The important thing is winning, not if I play. It all comes down to winning tomorrow and getting to the final.”

Answering questions about the recent rumors concerning a conflict between Piqué and Josep Guardiola, the player reminded the audience that they “both arrived at the same time, we are both part of a really beautiful era and I have a lot of confidence in him, because he loves this Club and he’s passionate about the sport. We have a very good relationship, we talk a lot.” He jokingly added: “He’s always giving me grief about something, but it’s been like that from the first season.”

Source: fcbarcelona.cat; Photo credit:  REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino