After chaining eleven consecutive victories in global competitions and confirming itself as a candidate team for all titles, the Barça of futsal disputes as of today in Plzen (Czech Republic) the Elite Round from Champions League in order to secure the ticket for the Final Four, the great goal of the season for the section. The host Plzen czech Dobovec Slovenian and the Halle-Gooik Belgian will be the rivals of the Catalans and one of the great offensive arguments of Barça will be Jean Pierre Guisel ‘Pito’ (Chapecó, Brazil, November 6, 1991), star signing of the summer for Barça, who before the continental meeting attended MD to talk about his adaptation to the club and analyze the possibilities of the team to continue his path in the Champions.
How have you been in Barcelona these first months?
The truth is that very well, I am still adjusting. But I’m feeling good and I get along very well with the whole team. It is not difficult to get used to a team like Barça because you get used to good things quickly. The structure is fantastic and at the moment I can only say good things in these first months here.
That there are so many Brazilians on the squad I suppose also makes it easier.
At the beginning that was very important because when I arrived I already knew some of the teammates, from playing with them and also against. With Ferrao I was at the World Cup sharing a room and on vacation in Brazil and that also made adaptation much easier.
With Ferrao there is a special connection and people expect a lot from you.
We both know how important we are in the team, but we are not affected by these thoughts on the court. We are professionals and we play a lot of games with a lot of pressure. On the court we only think about enjoying ourselves and scoring goals, which is our job.
How was your signing for Barça carried out?
There was an agreement but it took a while for the change of president and with everything that Barça was experiencing. When they came looking for me to try to sign me, it was clear to me that I wanted to be here because it was a club where I had the dream of playing. We started talking and he stayed a bit in ‘stand by’ because of everything that was happening at Barça, but I wanted to come here one hundred percent. In the end, the club also wanted me to come and they ended up signing me.
The team is in a great dynamic of results and play, Did you expect such a positive start to the season?
When it comes to Barça you have to win yes or yes, but I did not expect such a good performance. For me, personally, I came to a new team, with a change of coach, and that costs a bit at the beginning. In the first match in Palma it was reflected a lot that we had not trained together for the World Cup and we lost, but now it is totally different. Jesús Velasco is doing training sessions for us and things are going well. Also, the squad is phenomenal and I’m sure the results will come alone. We have to work and adapt as quickly as possible with Velasco.
How is it different to work with Velasco?
At the beginning it costs a bit because it is totally different from what I was used to and I think the rest of the team does too. He makes things very clear and, in the end, whoever is playing here at Barça is already signed because he has a lot of quality and knows how to adapt to different circumstances. Some things are missing, we are not yet one hundred percent, but we will achieve it between now and the end of the season.
Pito gave a few touches in the Esportova City
He came to the Palau many times as a rival and now he has the fans in his favor. How have he received the affection of the public?
When I played against I noticed a lot how they pressed and now playing for Barcelona I have all their support. They make a difference and now I just have to enjoy with them. When there are games with all the fans pressing, it shows a lot. I went through other teams and I know how difficult it is to play at the Palau as a rival. Now I have to enjoy with the Dracs and the rest of the fans.
Now comes the Champions League and everyone gives them as favorites to go to the Final Four, do you see it that way too?
Barça is the favorite wherever it goes, but we know of the difficulties we will have in the Elite Round. In recent years in the Champions League, as in Spain with the League, all the teams are working hard and matching the competition a lot. The rivals are not so well known to the general public, but they are intense and physically strong teams. We can say that we are favorites, but then we have to show it on the track. We are going to work hard to secure a place in the Final Four.
On a personal level, is the Champions League also the great goal?
For me it is the main objective of the season. I don’t have any Champions League and I have barely been able to play it once last year with Inter Movistar. Yes or yes I want to get this title and also with Barça it would be a dream. It is the main objective of all my colleagues as well.
Last year you were MVP of the League, do you aspire to repeat it?
I will look for it again. I know this year is more difficult, but my goal is to be among the best and to contribute as much as possible to the team. Winning the Champions is the main thing and then we will see if we also get the rest of the titles. Individual recognitions are fine, but first is the collective.
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