Guardiola warns against complacency

Pep Guardiola insists the pressure is on Barcelona to maintain their standards ahead of Wednesday’s Copa del Rey clash with Real Madrid.

Barca lost 1-0 to Real in the final of last year’s cup competition, but recovered to win a third successive La Liga title and their second Champions League crown in three seasons.

Despite an unprecedented trophy haul earning the club worldwide plaudits, Guardiola believes the squad and coaching staff must fight a constant battle against complacency if they are to continue accumulating major honours.

“We have a lot to lose,” Guardiola said ahead of the quarter-final first leg at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu.

“You don’t have credit in sport.”

“I may have said this in news conferences a few times in the past, but let me do so again. Credit does not exist in sport, it’s not there. You have to come back and win every time.”

“What we have done before now is very good. We are satisfied with our achievement and for all our fans. But we have to come back and win once again.”

“It’s not correct that we have some credit for our achievements so tomorrow we concede four goals and we are all happy.”

“We have to come back again and win against a great rival. We have to play another great game in order to be able to compete against them.”

“The day we begin to live for what we have already achieved and start to run a little less and are less committed then we will have to change players and change the coach because that won’t do,” he said.

“You have to come back and start again. I come here all the time to convince you the media and convince the fans about this. That is always how it is.”

Guardiola expects a typically physical contest against a Real Madrid team set-up to counterattack under Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho.

“Well you all know that Madrid have the capacity to hit you up front,” he said.

“They are very intense and very physical. They are a team that can play in waiting and when you lose the ball they go rapidly on a counter attack.”

“We all know that they are incredibly strong in this aspect. That is why they are the team they are.”

“But this is also why it gives you so much pleasure in playing games like this one against rivals that are so strong.”