2024-07-29 18:00:17
In an interview with “The Guardian”, “Barcelona” midfielder Ivan Rakitic talked about how the game of the Catalan team is built.
“People say, ‘It’s great to have Messi, Suarez and Neymar playing up front. It makes your job easier.” It’s not always easy, trust me. Coaches offer hundreds of ways to structure the game, although Barcelona have a clear playing philosophy that has been cemented over the years.
The way we get the ball out of defense is similar to Sevilla, but there is a big difference in skill and activity. The first difference is that Barcelona is always in control.
At first Leo played as a false number 9, then he started playing on the wings, we have to adapt to those changes. Leo is not just the best player today, he is the best footballer in history. Neymar is very young but always able to help the team. I can say the same about Suarez.
These players allow the game to be built around them, but that doesn’t mean things get any easier. We apply a lot of pressure to get the ball not 50, but 20 meters from the opponent’s goal, so that there are not 5 but 2 defenders in front of the attackers. If we have to run 5 or 10 kilometers for Messi, Suarez and Neymar, we will do it. If I can help our strikers to play better, that’s great,” said the Croatian footballer.