Pere Romeu: 'We will have to be brave and show personality'
The FC Barcelona Women's team are once again just a tie away from another appearance in the Champions League. Standing in their way are German side Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the competition. On Friday, ahead of the first leg on Saturday in the Allianz Arena, coach Pere Romeu faced the press in Munich.
Emotional Match
"The team is playing and training very well, but the Champions League is such an emotional competition that sometimes it's decided by small details. I'm very happy with how we're approaching it, but in scenarios like this, with so much emotion involved, a small mistake or a refereeing decision can have a huge impact. Arriving in good form is important, but it's not everything: you need to stay very clear‑headed, because playing 180 perfect minutes will be very difficult," explained the Barça coach.
The 7-1 win, not relevant
Ever since the tie was confirmed, there has been a lot of discussion about whether the 7-1 win in the opening round of fixture in the league phase would have importance. Romeu is clear that "it won't be a factor; it was a few months ago. We are at a higher level now, even, and they have clearly improved as well. We both know it's a very demanding knockout tie. Since that day, Bayern haven't lost a single match," added Romeu.
The German side, like Barça, have just been crowned league champions in convincing fashion. Moreover, Romeu does not believe that Bayern "will change many things, because they never do. They'll want to be very active and tight in midfield. If we try to repeat what we did well, we'll be close to being the better side, which is what we want; the more comfortable we feel, the better."
Motivation intact
What is beyond doubt is that motivation remains intact, and the Barça coach was keen to highlight that fact: "We really have to value this generation of footballers we have. It's difficult to replicate a generation that has won so much and still maintains the humility and the desire to keep doing it season after season, week after week," he said.
In addition, on a personal level, it will not be just another match for him either. "When you look back, you didn't expect to be coaching a match in a stadium like this. We're very focused on the idea that this is part of a progression and that the team is in good shape. In a scenario like this we'll need personality and courage; if we manage that, we'll have a lot of chances to get a good result."