Recap of Andreas Christensen’s interview with TV2 Sport.
Barcelona’s Danish defender, Andreas Christensen, has unequivocally addressed recent speculations about his future with the club, affirming his dedication to the Blaugrana cause. In an exclusive interview with TV2 Sport, Christensen declared, “I’m not going anywhere, not at all. I knew where I was coming to when I signed for Barça. I’m incredibly happy and I can’t think about anything other than continuing here after the summer.”
Addressing the persistent rumors swirling in the media, Christensen maintained his composure, stating, “When someone like me knows what is going to happen, there is total calm. The rest is just noise. Yes, it has been a bad season. But personally, I don’t want to give up.”
Reflecting on the unexpected departure of former manager Xavi Hernandez, Christensen expressed mixed sentiments, remarking, “It was something strange because he is still with us so he has not left and things, for the moment, continue as always. Whether I agree or not with his departure, I have to accept it, but the team has known how to put it aside now and focus on things that we have to correct in the game.” He further added, “He was the one who brought me here and was fundamental in achieving one of my dreams. It’s sad but if he [Xavi] believes that the club needs his departure, I can only accept it.”
Despite Barcelona’s triumph in La Liga last season, Christensen acknowledged areas of improvement, stating, “I think a lot about the criticism last year that we got a lot of 1-0 wins – when we look at the games I think we played excellent football until we scored. Our problem last year was that we stopped playing after scoring a goal. This season has been different. We have made decisions too quickly and we have been too open as a team.”
Adapting to a new role as a pivot in the team, Christensen admitted, “It has been a long time since I last played in that position, so of course I have to get used to a lot of things. But I actually enjoy it. I have to keep my balance in front of the defensive line and make sure we are in the right places. I have to fill the space right behind the attackers. Both when we are with the ball and when we are not with the ball. It may well be that sometimes the ball is not always so important. But fortunately, we have other good players there.” Clarifying his role, he added, “There have been no indications that I will be a midfielder from now on. I am still a defender, but we have gone through a difficult period and my job is to do whatever I can to help the team.”
In light of recent media scrutiny, particularly regarding teammate Frenkie de Jong, Christensen emphasized the impact of such speculation, remarking, “There is a common understanding that there are newspapers that have to write 20 pages every day. If they express their opinion about ‘What we should do and how we should play’ is no problem. Our problem is when people speculate about things or build on something that is not true. It affects Frenkie and it affects the rest of us, because people doubt whether to believe it or not.”
