[情報] 馬克萊萊有信心創奇蹟
http://sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/
2006/03/07/sfnche07.xml
Makelele content to let feet do the talking
By Alex Hayes
(Filed: 07/03/2006 選錄)
Claude Makelele is a pragmatist. Everything the Chelsea midfielder does or
says is simple and to the point.
No matter that Chelsea are about to play the most important 90 minutes of
their season against Barcelona; no matter that the temperature is rising at
the Nou Camp; and no matter that so many around him seem to be losing
their heads: Makelele is a as cool and collected as ever.
"We can win this match and qualify for the quarter-finals," he insists. "I
know that many people will feel that we are as good as out of the Champions
League, following our 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, but I
remain convinced that we can do it. Nothing is lost."
"I feel ready and confident," the 32-year old says. "I'm not going to make
wild predictions or try t persuade myself that anything is possible, but this
Chelsea team are more than capable of standing up to Barcelona in their own
back-yardand reaching the last eight of the competition.
"The reason why I am saying this with such confidence is because this is
exactly what the other players think as well. There is in this group an
incredible self-belief that, challenge, nothing can stop us."
Many would disagree with Makelele's bold assertion. Statistics alone suggest
that Chelsea have more than one foot on the trap door. The history of the
European Cup and its subsequent transformation into the Champions League,
shows a team who have lost the first leg 2-1 at home have only five per cent
chance of progressing to the next round.
"Of course it will be very tough," the Frenchman concedes. "It's a massive
test for us, probably our biggest for many a year, but I'm certain that we
will score a goal at the Nou Camp. And, if we find the net early on in the
game, then it will be very interesting to see how Barca react. Their defence
is by no means impossible to breach, as was proved again last weekend, and
a slip-up in the opening minutes could totally destabilise them and allow
doubts to creep into their minds."
Makelele remains upbeat, yet respectful ahead of tonight's match. "We have
the right players and mentality to win," he says, "but we're not going into
this match believing that it's going to be easy. Barcelona have some
incredibly talented players, especially up front. Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o
and Ronaldinho are world-class stars, who would grace any side in the world.
But that is our motivation. It's up to up to prove that we can score and then
beat the best."
A two-goal victory at the Nou Camp, against arguable the most accomplished
club side in the world, would be some achievement. "I know how intimidating
the stadium can be," says makelele, who played there several times during his
three years with Real Madrid. "The noise can be deafening and the pitch is
very wide, but we tasted all that last year and I'm sure we'll be able to
rise above all the hype."
Makelele is not one for digging up the past. He has never felt it necessary
to utter a bad, or indeed mocking, word about Real, even though the Spanish
giants let him go in 2003 when he asked for a moderate pay rise and have not
won a trophy since. He is, therefore, uneasy when asked to comment on the
first leg incidents.
"I know Chelsea are doing well at the moment,"he sighs, "but why is everyone
so obsessed with every detail from our games? So much was said and written
about the match at Stamford Bridge, that the public must be sick and tired
of going over all that again.
"I feel Asier Del Horno did not deserve to be sent off for his challenge on
Messi. A yellow card would have been enough. As for our supposed tatical
naivety, when we continued to chase the game even after going down to 10 men,
I believe we did exactly the right thing. To beat Barcelona, you have to go
at them. That's what we did then, and that's what we'll do again tonight."
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