The Barça futsal team returns to the Champions League after two years of absence and the Brazilian forward João Victor, double champion with Palma, expresses the enormous enthusiasm that the Barça team is experiencing. Before the group stage in Slovakia, the player spoke with Mundo Deportivo about the start of the season, his recent participation with the Brazilian team and the ambition to win the European title again.
Since the first match of the campaign, Barça has shown a solid performance. Victor remembers the resounding victory in El Ejido as a motivational boost for the Champions League, and affirms that the team is “very good” and with “a lot of confidence” before the continental competition. Despite the busy schedule, which included the Nations Cup with Brazil and four consecutive matches, the player highlights the importance of resting and managing the pace to be able to compete to the maximum both for the national team and the club.
The return to the Champions League is not only a logistical achievement, but also a liberation for the club. Victor remembers that, during his time in Palma, there was always the expectation of returning to Europe, and that Barça “has missed” the competition. “We fulfilled the first objective, which was to reach the Champions League, and now we have the second, which is the most difficult, which is to win it,” he stated, underlining the responsibility felt by the players and the coaching staff.
As for the group stage, the striker highlights the difficulty of the matches, especially away from home, and the need to go in “at full strength and plugged in” to achieve the three wins that would allow them to lead the table. Although he recognizes the pressure of being considered favorites, he maintains the conviction that Barça has "many possibilities" of advancing and reaching the final of the season.
The absence of Matheus, injured and considered a key player, is mentioned as a major blow, but the team has alternatives such as Catela and Nakata. João Victor describes himself as a group player, willing to support at any time, and emphasizes that the objective is for Barça to win, because “if Barça wins, we all win.”
Finally, the player remembers the success of the previous year, with the League and participation in the cup finals, and affirms that the team is in the right direction to fight for all possible titles. With the Champions League as its first objective and renewed confidence, Barça futsal is preparing to face its rivals in Slovakia with the intention of turning hope into victory.