Barca aim for history
ByReuters
Published 30/11/2006 at 17:22 GMT
Barcelona are aiming to go one better than Johan Cruyff's "dream team" of the early 1990s and win the Club World Cup in Japan next month. "It's a challenge for us as we know that the dream team were on the verge of winning it," Barca midfielder Xavi told
FOOTBALL, Deco, Xavi, Barcelona
Image credit: Imago
"Thinking that we could become the first Barcelona team to win this trophy and go down in the history books of the club gives us extra motivation to win it."
Cruyff's Barca lost 2-1 to Sao Paulo in 1992 in their only previous appearance in the Club World Cup's predecessor which was then just a one-off encounter between the European and South American champions.
"I remember that game against Sao Paulo," said the Spain international. "Hristo Stoichkov scored right in the corner at the start of the game, but things started going wrong for Barca and Sao Paulo got it right.
"It was a real shame that the dream team couldn't cap the job they did at Wembley (winning the European Cup) with a victory."
Barca coach Frank Rijkaard was keen to play down the favourites' tag which has been given to the Catalans for the tournament that pits the champions of the six soccer confederations against each other.
"We have to go to Japan with a humble attitude, determined to work hard and without feeling that we are better than anyone else," said the Dutchman.
"I can imagine the front pages of the papers saying that we are the favourites, but that will only complicate things for us."
The tournament, which includes South Korea's Chonbuk Motors, Mexican club America, Egypt's Al Ahli, New Zealand's Auckland City and Brazil's Internacional takes place in Japan from December 10-17.
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