Iniesta still eyeing fifth title

Players satisfied that they gave the match their best shot, but that it became mission impossible after Pique’s sending off

“We tried everything”. That’s how Andrés Iniesta summed things up to the media just moments after the 1-1 draw with Athletic Club had put an end to all hope of repeating the historic six trophies of 2009. “It is a shame because we let a title slip away” he continued. “But on Sunday we’ll be just as keen to get started in La Liga and try to have a great season.”

The first team captain admitted that it hurt to miss out on the Spanish Super Cup, “but let’s not confuse things. We should congratulate Athletic and lift ourselves for what we hope will be a wonderful season … In December we’ll be competing for the Club World Cup, and that would be a fifth title”.

Iniesta was asked to explain how this evening’s game had unfolded. “We got the game going at a fast pace in the first half and managed to create some clear chances” he said. “We needed to get another goal, but when Piqué was sent off, it got so much more complicated”.

Here are some other comments made by the players after the match:

Sergio Busquets:

“We tried everything right until the end but it wasn’t to be. I think the game was decided in the first leg and I can only congratulate Athletic for winning the title”

“We scored in the first half and created chances. We started the second half well, we were on fire, but Piqué’s red card changed the game because it was as good as impossible with us a man down”

Dani Alves:

“Athletic competed better than we did. They deserved to win and that’s why I congratulate them”.

“Perhaps we didn’t get enough things right in the two games. Perhaps we didn’t compete as hard we can. We paid the price for the European Super Cup match, and didn’t have much time to prepare … There were all those things but there is no place for excuses”.

“Piqué was furious about the situation. The referee made a deision that did us damage, but that was no excuse either”.

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