Luis Enrique: "We don't make nasty tackles or injure players; those are our values"
Barcelona's coach spoke to the press on the eve of his side's LaLiga match with Granada on Saturday.
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Ahead of Barcelona's LaLiga clash with Granada on Saturday (20:45 CEST), Camp Nou boss Luis Enrique gave a press conference in which Los Azulgranas' controversial week 9 match at Valencia remained a dominant issue.
"We're used to endless controversies"
Will the recent row surrounding last weekend's match at Valencia affect Saturday's game? "I've already spoken about the issue and I've got nothing more to say except to refer you to the statement the club issued yesterday. Unfortunately, we're used to endless controversies and this is just one more."
Isn't too much focus being placed on the conduct of the Barça players rather than the bottle-throwing itself? "Throwing further fuel onto the fire is in nobody's interest. The facts are there. The [Spanish Football Federation] fair play award that we've won for years in a row speaks volumes for our sportsmanship. We don't put in nasty tackles or injure players. Those are the values we try to put across."
Are you surprised at former Barcelona striker Ronaldo saying he'd rather have scored his famous goal against Compostela during his time at Real Madrid? "I'm surprised that you're asking me about it; everyone is free to make the statements that they see fit."
"I'm delighted with Alcácer"
What does Paco Alcácer need to break his scoring duck for Barça? "What he needs is for the ball to hit the net or cross the line when he shoots. He's doing everything else. I'm delighted with his performance levels."
Could there be negative repercussions from Barça's poor relationship with LaLiga chief Javier Tebas? "We're the current champions and the aim is to fight for trophies. Getting into speculation doesn't benefit anyone. The team with the most points and that most deserves to will win it."
Could Barça be held back by their injuries? "I don't see any reason why we can't win every game we play. Looking for excuses isn't for us."
Swipe at Valencia over tackle that led to Iniesta injury
Are so many injuries just bad luck, or is there another cause? "[Gerard] Piqué's was a knock he took, and as for [Andrés] Iniesta's I don't need to say anything. [Jeremy] Mathieu and Jordi Alba's are muscular... You tell me a team that doesn't have injuries. We try to look after them but there are a lot of games, a lot of trips and there's a lot of [in-game physical] contact. There are always chances to get injured."
In the wake of recent revelations that Real Madrid were keen to hire Pep Guardiola, could you see him coaching Los Blancos? "That's a question for Guardiola."