As Barcelona get set to take on PSG in a few hours in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Parc des Princes, club president Joan Laporta has sent a message to the fans and the players.
It is a hugely important clash for Barça, not only for what it means on the pitch, but also off it as progression in the competition would help the Catalans financially.
As such, Laporta stressed that the game is very crucial for the club, saying that tonight’s contest is “the most important of the season so far”.
“An important match for the club because we have not been here for years. I see the players are focused, they believe in themselves as much as we believe in them.”
When asked to rate how important the game is on a scale of 1 to 10, he replied: “A 10. Well, a 9.5, the 10 would be the final.”
On being asked about his feelings heading into the blockbuster clash, the Barcelona chief said:
t will be a great match because, between Paris and Barça, we have a great history. We hope it will be a great match and we trust our chances,” he further added.
Laporta then asked the Barça supporters to keep faith and trust the team, saying: “The message for our fans is to believe in our players and our coach.”
On top of that, the Barcelona president stressed that he would never consider trading one of their players for one from PSG.
“We are very focused and it’s very important for everyone to know that I wouldn’t swap any of our players for any PSG player,” Laporta remarked.
Barcelona play PSG in the first leg of the UCL quarterfinals tonight at Parc des Princes before welcoming Luis Enrique’s men to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys for the second leg on April 16.
