Óscar Mingueza gave an exclusive interview to TV3, before the awaited Catalan Derby. Where he talked about Koeman, Espanyol, Xavi, and a lot more.
Xavi’s arrival:
“The changing room needed a change. The atmosphere we needed did not exist. Players were not happy and when the mood is not good, things do not work out. I am sure that with Xavi it will go very well for us. He has made a good start in the dressing room. People believe in what he says and this is very important.”
“He has put order and discipline, by creating necessary rules. But they are rules that I had already had in Juvenil A and in Barça B. Although now the fines are a lot more hefty. For me, it was strange that these rules were not present until now. Xavi is always in a jolly mood but he asks for work and intensity from us.”
Espanyol:
“It is always a special game, especially for those from Catalunya. We played them a lot in the lower divisions. It was always the most fierce game because we often played for titles. It is a good game to change the form we are in. We have a new coach and the fans to support us. From now on, we must be able to build on results and show that we are not a vulnerable team. We must fight for titles.”
Koeman:
“The team stopped trusting his ideas and each one tried to find their own solutions. We were not well, individually or collectively. I’m sure that now things will change and get better. And I don’t think we will have to wait 2 or 3 months to see these changes. Starting this weekend, we will see new things.”
Training:
“The exercises we do are very focussed on things we want to do on the field. We train with maximum intensity, pressure, and quality. It is good that we have a clear idea and that we all work in a specific way to do well as a team.”
Dani Alves:
“He has brought an incredible atmosphere to the locker room. He is always the first to go to the gym and is always working hard in training, he runs the most. Busquets and Piqué had told me that he was a training machine. It is incredible that at 38 he comes with that attitude and mentality. He will give the team the winning spirit it needs. I always watched him play, he is amazing.”
