Sin Juliano Belletti (Cascavel, Brazil, 1976), quiz el Only of Guardiola would not have existed. With his goal in the final of leavereinforced the first project of The door and began a dynasty that lasted nearly a decade. Now the Catalans are fighting to get back on their feet and Belletti, who knows what it will cost, believes they are on the right path.
QUESTION. How are you doing with this job as Bara’s ambassador to the world?
ANSWER. Alright, it’s been a really good few years and, the truth is, I’ve been very excited from day one.
P. Has the lack of titles in recent years weighed on Bara? Have you lost ground abroad?
Whenever I am away, whether in Africa, America, Asia or South America, it is obvious that the supporters, the fans, the members and the clubs are with the club no matter what. And now even more, that we have been in Miami, at the Bara Academy. They are always very involved in the entity, with words of motivation, enthusiasm… with new recruits too. They are very excited about what can happen this season. Being in Bara is like that, you’re not always going to win, but the goal is to work as hard as you can to win titles and the fans understand that. The team doesn’t lose in any way, they will always play well, striving to win and the fans appreciate it very much.
P. The ass is horny again
A. The players who arrive have made an effort to come and it is contagious. Lewandowski or Raphinha, who have had other offers, choose to come to Barcelona and that is much appreciated. They are football players who can bring back titles again. At 33, in training and matches, he has a very high intensity, I was surprised. Raphael, ditto. A Brazilian in Barcelona always brings hope and he knows what he represents, the pressure there is, the responsibility. Both of a competitive nature, like the others who arrive, contaminate the people, the fans, to have the illusion of being able to win titles.
Lewandowski, at 33, has a very high intensity in training and matches, I was surprised
Q. What role does the Laporta factor play in this renewed illusion?
A. The press? Look, we have a president who arrived last time at a difficult time for the club. I remember that we had not won the Champions League for 13 years, five without La Liga. What the president has done is assemble a team on and off the pitch to win titles. He has this experience of overcoming crises, but they overcome it by working hard. That’s what he and his work team and Xavi and the players are doing. He doesn’t turn around without working, without suffering and now it shows that everyone is working hard because they know it’s not easy to win titles again.
P. When Xavi is asked to compare this time with that of Rijkaard or Guardiola, he lowers the euphoria and asks for calm. Do you see any similarities?
A. You have to take advantage of both things. Euphoria, because it helps to work with enthusiasm, but also to have your feet on the ground because you have to work very hard to win titles. It is not easy. Every year there is more competition and players know it.
Raphinha comes with a lot of character and personality, she learned a lot in Premier.
P. Your compatriot Raphinha is the man of the pre-season.
A. He comes with a lot of character and personality, he taught the Prime Minister a lot. It’s important to bring that experience and that competitive experience of English football. We already know magic, it has its creativity, dribbling, head-to-head… and Xavi knows how to take advantage of it. Give him that confidence. So we can see a Raphinha which is very close to what people expect from Brazilians.
P. And do you think that the arrival of Lewandowski will make a jump in quality in the workforce?
A. He has already given it, you have to respect Lewandowski a lot. Work to be done very well here too and it rubs off on the other players, especially the younger ones. Maybe he won’t be a leader who talks a lot, but he will bring the other players to him, understanding that it will not be an easy season.
P. On the sides, it looks like it costs more to hit. Why is it so difficult to sign full-backs for Bara?
A. It’s not hard to find them, it’s hard to play as a team. But we have good people in the team. Seeing how Xavi plays, he will get a lot of benefit from attacking moves on the flank, like I did, especially with Lewandwoski in the area. Look, for example, against Real Madrid, Araujo was very good in defense and stepped up in attack. It’s time to try, then have options.
The arrival of Lewanwdowski has already made a qualitative leap, we must respect him a lot
Do you see any side wood for the Uruguayan?
Yes, he played very well against Real Madrid.
I see wood next to Araujo
Q. Will we see Bara fight for the titles this season?
A. Barcelona, when the season starts, always go with the intention of fighting for the titles. Now, in pre-season, it’s time to work on the intensity, the concentration, the physical level of the players, the competition between them… the journey will be long and Xavi’s experience is important. When I arrived in 2004, we went through this together, and Xavi has this experience of turning the crisis around. With these players and the intensity, fans can once again be excited to fight for titles.
With these players and the intensity, fans can once again get excited to fight for titles
P. You talk about coach Xavi, but what about coach Belletti?
A. Last year I was a technical assistant at Cruzeiro and since January I have been on my way to becoming a coach in Brazil. We talk to some teams there. That’s what I want to do now. My proposition? I have to get to know the block first, but commitment and responsibility are key.”
P. And what are the Belletti teams playing?
A. First you need to know the team you have. The qualities he has, the age. I don’t know if I should train in grassroots or professional football. What they don’t shake hands with is commitment and professionalism, that’s what allowed me to have a pretty big sporting career. In the team in which he finds himself, whatever the category, commitment, professionalism and discipline are the most important.