Barcelona's Pep Guardiola can understand why Real Madrid is against staging Copa del Rey final

Barcelona's Pep Guardiola can understand why Real Madrid is against staging Copa del Rey final

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has admitted
that he can understand why Real Madrid is
unwilling to hand over the Santiago
Bernabeu for this year's Copa del Rey final.
The Catalans are set to meet Athletic Bilbao
in the showpiece event and that has raised
alarm bells in the Spanish capital given that
the last time the two sides met in the
tournament decider, in 2009 at Mestalla,
certain fans from both clubs booed the
national anthem.
Guardiola thinks that the Bernabeu is the
ideal venue for the final but is aware that
staging the game there could cause
controversy.
"It is a fantastic stadium and has a large
capacity, but I understand the reluctance of
Madrid to host the game against Athletic
there," the former Spain international told
reporters during his press conference ahead
of Saturday's clash with Osasuna.
"I understand that in a final, if there is no
predetermined venue like in the Champions
League, you must seek out a neutral setting.
"So, I would not like to play the final at San
Mames [home of Athletic Bilbao] because it
would be an advantage to our rivals. But it
will be the [Spanish Football] Federation
who decides."
Meanwhile, after it was pointed out to him
during his press conference that Barca had
lost just one of their 40 games in all
competitions so far this season, Guardiola
pondered the fickle nature of the footballing
press.
"A fortnight ago this was the worst year of
Pep and now it is the best," he exclaimed. "I
would have rather lost more games and
drawn less in order to be closer to the [La
Liga] leaders [Madrid], but the balance is good.
"We have won three titles, we have played
some good games and where we did not win,
we competed well. Some teams will play as
many games in a year as we're playing in
February. But it is still not enough to have
lost only one game if someone else is ahead.
"
Barcelona currently sits second in La Liga,
seven points behind Madrid ahead of
Saturday's trip to Pamplona.