• Barcelona 3-1 Man Utd, Champions League final

Delighted Guardiola committed to Barcelona

May 28, 2011
Lionel Messi was named man of the match © Getty Images
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Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola reaffirmed his commitment to the club after seeing his side beat Manchester United 3-1 to win the Champions League.

"I am obviously very happy," Guardiola said. "It takes so much to win this tournament; it always does. We had some time to prepare for this encounter and I thought we played excellently tonight. We went 1-0 up but we knew that with all of United's history and stature in the game they would come back at us. In the end, though, we managed to control the match and we won very well."

Guardiola also insisted he would be staying at the Nou Camp for one more season at least.

When asked if he was interested in the vacant job at Chelsea he said: ''I will say it again, I have another year on my contract and I intend to work it out. You have girls falling at your feet when you win but that can change overnight.

''I feel privileged to have these players. Everyone has worked towards this. We are very happy. But I have to look inside of me. I am happy to be here as coach of these guys. but it is not an easy job.''

He also believes it is not realistic to try to emulate the 25 years Ferguson has been at the helm at Old Trafford in Spain.

''In England it can be 25 years, in Spain it is impossible,'' said Guardiola. ''They are different ways. For him to be manager for 25 years and create new teams and new teams he has my admiration. I know it is difficult.

''If you play this football (like Barcelona) you need these players. At another club maybe I would have a problem to find these kind of players.''

Guardiola singled out the mercurial Messi for special praise.

He said: ''Lionel is the best player I've ever seen, probably the best ever. He made the difference. Messi is unique, a one-off. I just hope he doesn't get fed up. When he doesn't play well it is because something is wrong with his environment. Let's hope he can continue playing well.''

But Guardiola was unsure, however, whether Barcelona were the best club team of all time.

''I don't know,'' he said. ''It is impossible to say. I didn't see the Real Madrid of Di Stefano and the Ajax of Cruyff. We try to play as well as possible. I hope in the next 10 or 15 years the people will remember them and have enjoyed them.''

Meanwhile, Barcelona striker David Villa has dedicated his goal to his family.

Villa, who joined Barcelona from Valencia at the start of the season, scored the Catalan's third goal on 69 minutes, a curling effort to put the game beyond United.

And Villa acknowledged that his strike came at an important point in the game, with United pushing forward in search of another equaliser following Lionel Messi's second-half strike.

"My goal came at a good time and gave us piece of mind. We went 3-1 up and it decided the match. We are very happy having achieved all of this," Villa told TVE. "I dedicate it to all my family, my daughters and also Pepe Reina's, who are like my nieces.

"It is the reward for all work and we are very happy to have achieved this in a stadium so important. It was a very important title for the club and now it's ours." Villa told TVE shortly after the final whistle.

"If you know us, you know that we never relax. We have ambition, we have potential and very hungry for titles. We could not waste this opportunity."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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