Pires: "We Arms

Robert Pires left in the campaign ... At 35, midfielder Villarreal attack another season in La Liga, the fourth rank, with the desire of a young first. "I've never felt so good," said the former French international, who does not think that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will dominate the outrageously Liga 2009-2010. The Yellow Submarine will be a very competitive team, and "attention to Atletico Madrid," warned the former Messina.

Football.fr: Robert, how are you feeling at the dawn of a new season in La Liga?
Robert Pires: I feel great, really great shape and I look forward as it starts. The preparation went very well, it was hard but the group is already feeling the benefits. We will have the opportunity to assess at this weekend as we travel on the ground of Osasuna, a team that can rough count on audiences everywhere.

"Valverde is more stringent"

How did the handover between Manuel Pellegrini and Ernesto Valverde?
Very good. There was change in methods and approach to the field, but we were prepared for this. We all suspected that Pellegrini was leaving because he has demonstrated with Villarreal, he had enormous qualities as a coach. Valverde has arrived and it is much more rigorous. It works a lot tactically and physically, the sessions are more intense.

How do you expect the new season in La Liga after the recruitment campaign of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid?
Real and Barca will be forced two big cars, the teams to beat in a way. But I believe they will not dominate the Liga outrageously as many people think. Looking good competition, there will be people too. The Valencia kept everyone is important. And attention to Atletico Madrid. They hired a special goalkeeper, Sergio Asenjo, and they have mostly managed to keep Diego Forlan and Kun Agüero, who are real machines, with one more season together. And that, it can make a difference.

"Escudero and Nilmar will astonish"

What do you think are maddening that Real has spent this summer, despite their dire financial situation?
In Spain, everybody in the habit of it, but I must admit it's pretty ironic. Here, there is much unemployment and many people lack financial resources. Besides that, the Real spending hundreds of millions of euros ... But they have three banks behind them and they still work like that. But I feel that people want things to change in Spain, that clubs can not recruit any more and being in the red. This is not normal ... We at Villarreal, we are fortunate to have a president who has a lot of money and every year it invests its own logs. For example, Nilmar, is its own funds that helped recruit him.

Villarreal has the means to compete this season?
Well, I feel we ... Frankly, we have the weapons to finish in the top four. Last season we had an experienced workforce but lacked bench. It will not be the case this season because the group has been expanded and youth, new blood, have been made. At the end of last season, had missed juice, and management wanted to recruit accordingly to prevent this from happening again. Two rookies will probably surprise many, Escudero, the middle left of Valladollid happened, especially Nilmar, which has nothing to do with the boy he was at Lyon.

The Europa League is it a real goal?
Yes, frankly yes. We started well in this competition we qualified for the group stage thanks to a clear success (6-1) at NAC Breda, and we want to achieve great things this season. In the past, both the Champions League we smiled, as the UEFA Cup We were never allowed to shine. Here, we must succeed in reaching the final four, this is one of the objectives of the club.

"Jarque? Strange"

After Antonio Puerta, Spanish football has again been overshadowed this summer ...
Yes, the death of Dani Jarque us shaken. It was an excellent defender, Spanish international, and it was only 26 years ... It's getting much in recent years ... The worst was that he died while he was lying on his bed, on the phone with his wife. He made no effort, it's still strange. But I believe the basic problem is not doping as some may say, but the pace and timing that is required of players. A few days before, Jarque had passed all medical tests and heart and no problems were noted. He died of a heart attack, period. But perhaps the bodies of professional footballers are now much overstretched, pushed up. A strong pull on the rope, for some, it will eventually break definitively. We'll have to seriously address this problem because it is urgent.

And Robert retirement is when?
Not for now! Frankly, I do not think I'll stop in June. My contract ends in 2010 but I feel so good, so fit, I can not imagine stopping. The physical preparation that Valverde has put in place was tough but made me much good, and I realize that I would like the pace, although, of course, I could not play 90 minutes of every game . Even the Premier League and his total commitment does not frighten me (laughs)! I certainly continue to Villarreal if they offered me a new contract, or otherwise. But I'm not there yet.

http://www.football.fr