Barca’s Villa Wants to Win La Liga
David Villa, the newest kid on the Barca block, is reportedly looking forward to a very successful season with the Catalan giants. After impressing the world with his superb striking skills in a Spanish shirt, Villa has set his sights on winning the La Liga title with Barcelona. And why stop there, he says. At the rate he’s going, he could very well help his side win the El Clasico and Champions League as well.
Barcelona truly has found a gem in Villa. Despite winning unimaginable treasures with Spain’s fairy tale win in the World Cup, Villa dreams that the best is yet to come.
"I want to win more", said El Guaje. "More titles, more individual awards, more goals… I want to win La Liga and the Champions League."
Things turned out differently for David Villa, after Spain lost its opening match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against surprise winners Switzerland. Villa himself admitted that the days after the loss were some of the worst he had lived as a footballer.
"Those three or four days before the Honduras match were very bad and the day before the Chile match (Spain's final group stage match) were perhaps worse. It was the most difficult match and with the circumstances we were facing, we knew we could be out of the World Cup even if we were the better team. An expulsion, a penalty, a day of bad luck in which they score on a rebound and you can't score, anything could have happened that would have ruled us out of the knockout stage,” said Villa.
The rest is history. In the wake of the World Cup, Villa stands as one of the possible recipients of the Ballon D'Or award. But Villa was quick to comment that Spain and Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas was more deserving. "Iker is a point of reference and is our most important player. When there is a problem, he is always the one who supports us," said Villa.
Those are big words coming from a Barcelona player to a Real Madrid man. Classy stuff from the Spanish striker.
Now, La Liga looms ahead. And with this, Villa has expressed his excitement to learn and improve under Barca boss Pep Guardiola. Speaking to the Spanish press, Villa said: "I have a lot of ambition to train with Pep, not only for what he represents but also because of what I have heard from my teammates. They tell me he is a coach that helps you improve both individually and collectively.”
"Puyol, with all his experience, has told me that he has never had a coach like Guardiola. Before signing for Barca, I received a lot of messages from him (Guardiola) and I think it was liberating for both him and me when I finally signed,” he added.
Villa has every reason to feel jubilant with Barca. With the Catalan giants’ 4-3-3 attacking formation, Villa will feel right at home. The striker in fact is confident that the coach will put him in the attack alongside Messi and Pedro. “I doubt he would put me in the midfield," said Villa.
Villa is also keen to participate in the Barca-Real rivalry. During the World Cup, tension was absent. But you can bet the both teams will up the ante when El Clasico rolls around. "I can't wait for the tension of that match. Those moments can decide La Liga, just like last season. They are spectacular matches and I can't wait to experience that," admitted the Barca man.
The future appears bright for Barcelona and David Villa. With a champion like Villa, Barca has good reason to be giddy when Spanish football resumes.
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