"What did people think," the midfielder asked. "That we were going to win every game 3-0? I can't believe what I am hearing sometimes. Do you not realise how hard it is? Teams aren't stupid. We're European champions, they all pressure us like wolves. There isn't a single metre, not a second on the pitch. Always 10 men behind the ball putting pressure on."It's a quote that could well have come in the last 10 days. But it didn't. It came two years ago before the World Cup final. And it's perhaps a timely reminder of just how long Spain's Barcelona-based players have been chasing history on all fronts... not to mention how far-reaching the effects of fatigue and pressure - both physical and mental - may well be.
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