The Barça midfielder gave his thoughts on the semi-final for UEFA media, highlighting that seeing Guardiola and Thiago again will be ‘special’
For his part, Ter Stegen admitted that ‘the Champions League is one of the biggest challenges that you can have’
There are just hours remaining before the Champions League semi-final between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich and the players are mentally preparing themselves for the battle. In an interview with UEFA media, Barça midfielder Andrés Iniesta has made it clear that even though he knows they will have to work hard in the tie, he will try to enjoy it as much as he can: “They are game that are surrounded by tension, for what is at stake and because you are just a step away from a possible final. Furthermore, the season is going really well and we are just a small step from fulfilling our objectives. All these things are factors that add to the game, but the key is to enjoy what we do.”
It will be a special semi-final in which Barça will come face to face with former coach Pep Guardiola for the first time in official competition since he left the blaugranes. It will also be chance to catch up with another former FC Barcelona man, Thiago Alcántara, with whom the players still have “a good relationship because we have known each other for a long time now.” For all of the above, Iniesta believes it will be a “passionate tie”: “We have been through a lot together, so for that is will be nice and special for everyone.”
Ter Stegen: The Champions League is always special
“Playing in the Champions League is a great feeling, a special one. When you hear the anthem, I know that it is a great moment and I get goosebumps,” revealed Marc-André ter Stegen in an interview also with UEFA, published on their official website. For the German goalkeeper, “the Champions League is one of the biggest challenges that you can have in football.”
Nevertheless, Ter Stegen dismissed talk of what it would mean to play in the final in Berlin: “We don’t like to talk about the future. It’s too early to talk about that, but if we take things step by step and maintain focus in the league as well, we have a great chance. It’s our goal and we hope to achieve it.”
Also, the man who arrived last summer from Borussia Mönchengladbach admitted that playing at FC Barcelona “has been a big change in a different culture,” going to explain “not only is the football fantastic, but also everything that surrounds it.”