"People have a desire to twist things against Barcelona"
Luis Enrique was in an upbeat mood as he spoke to the press ahead of Saturday's league game in Seville. Barcelona travel to the Sanchez Pizjuan with a number of players missing, but Enrique says he has total confidence in his squad. Lucho also took a swipe at the people he believes want Barça to fail, saying that things are being "twisted".
He also spoke about the Ballon d'Or shortlist, refused to compare Gerard Gumbau and Sergi Samper and praised Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez. Here's what the Barça boss had to say...
Anti-Barça agenda: I see that there's a desire to twist things, not from within Barça, but outside of the club. But, fine, we are like a cork and we will keep on floating and keep on fighting. We will continue trying to make things enjoyable for our fans.
Sevilla game: We take on the game with a lot of players out, but they are situations which happen throughout a season. I expect a difficult game. It's the last in a run of seven games in 21 days, so there's a tiredness factor and it's been complicated.
Sevilla: Their results have surprised me this season, it shows how difficult it is to win games. We have seen teams [in the past] play in the Champions League and go down in the sam season.
Injuries: I won't use injuries as an excuse. I never hide behind injuries or suspensions. Here we judge things on results. What the media do does not interest me -- I have total confidence in my team.
Claudio Bravo: There's a chance Claudio Bravo will have the green light [from the medical team]. Once that's happened, I will decide if he's in the squad.
Gumbau and Samper: It's not nice to compare the two. It would not be kind. That's an ugly question. You can't compare two Barcelona players. They are both players for the future, but I won't compare them.
Luis Suarez: Luis Suarez was questioned at the beginning, which is normal. When the performances aren't as expected, the critics appear. But he is in a great moment and he's vital for us. He is key for what he brings in terms of leadership.
Neymar missing Brazil games: The international break is always a relief for me, because you have little time to savour [things]. I think it will do Neymar well not to play with his national team [and rest].
Ballon d'Or: I would have included [Gerard] Pique and [Sergio] Busquets, yes, but then I would have included everyone from my squad. This year I don't think there are any doubts who will win it. I don't have any doubts.
