Pique assures Barcelona will never play boring football

FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique on Thursday affirmed that the club will never change its style of play and go for boring football even if results may not go their way.

"Our philosophy is not just to win," he was quoted as saying by ESPNFC at the presentation of Rakuten as the club's new sponsor at an event in Japan.

"At this club it is important to win and play well and we have the players to achieve that -- our matches must be a spectacle. Our fans go to the stadium to enjoy themselves, not to win 1-0 by playing so defensively that it bores the goats," he said.

"It's not just about playing but also having a good time as you play. It's not just about working but also having fun as you do it."

Last season, the Catalan giants missed out on the Spanish league title to arch-rivals Real Madrid and were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League against Juventus.

Pique also backed former Athletic Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde, who was appointed as Luis Enrique's successor this summer, to do well.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, who was also at the event in Tokyo, also said he is looking forward to get going under the new coach.

"The objectives are always the same when we start the season. At Barca to try to win everything that we're playing in and I hope we can do that this year," Messi, who last week agreed a new contract with the club, was quoted saying by ESPNFC.

"Personally I am really looking forward to getting back, starting work, meeting the new manager and his staff and enjoying another year with the club," he said.

"We're all starting from zero again, with a new coach whose way of working we don't yet know, but we do know that he's a great manager because of what he's done with his other teams. He did well in Valencia and then with Athletic. I'm really looking to getting back to training, just like every year, and giving my all," Messi said.

--IANS

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