Being the big game of the week, the Champions League match between Chelsea and Barcelona is getting coverage worldwide.
With so many Brazilian players having featured for both clubs, outlets from the South American country are giving the game big attention as well, and it will even be broadcasted on free-to-air TV.
Website Globo Esporte managed an interview with Deco, who played for both Barça and Chelsea, and asked his opinion on who are the favourites for qualification to the quarter-finals.
“I think these games are quite even. Barcelona are more competitive than, perhaps, last season. A little more balanced, but less spectacular. I think losing Neymar is difficult for any team in the world to lose a player like him. I think he, Messi and Suarez complemented each other very well.
“I think Paulinho brought other things, but Barcelona is more competitive, less decisive. Chelsea have also lost a few players. Lost Diego, lost Matic. Important players last year. They also aren’t as consistent as last year, in my opinion. But I think Barcelona are favourites, because when you have a Messi player, with the ability, I think the difference is there. And I think Barcelona are favourites.”
Globo Esporte also recalled each of the clashes between Chelsea and Barcelona which Deco was involved in. The first was in the 2004-05 season, when the Blues got qualification.
“In fact it was Mourinho’s Chelsea, I knew it well. Our mistake there was… I even had spoken at the time that Chelsea was a very strong counter-attack team. With fast players, they had a very strong start when they played at home against the other teams. The pitch is small, coming in very quickly to the box. And that’s exactly what happened, we conceded almost three goals trying or insisting on the style of Barcelona, which was always to play, but at risk.
“Then there was Ronaldo’s goal, which was spectacular and different as he always was. And we made the game even, we were practically getting through, when we conceded a goal from a set piece, in which Chelsea also was very strong, despite thinking that it had been a foul on Valdés. And despite having played well at home, having played well there and coming from 3-0 to even the game, we failed to go through.”
The following season, another game, this time decided at the Camp Nou: “I think the second game to have been at home was different, it was good for us. We played differently in the first game, we already knew them a little. It was one of the best games we did in the Champions League that year because winning there 2-1 was not easy, we played very well. And at home we controlled the game, but we drew.”
The next one was two years later, but not in the knock-out stage: “It was the group stage, the two qualified. The games against Chelsea were always different, special. Even for the fact of Mourinho on the other side. And I think in the first one there was something there with Rijkaard, and the games against Chelsea had this special thing that created a rivalry that did not exist, but it was created from the first year.”
In 2008-09, this time wearing the blue shirt, Deco couldn’t enter the pitch, but still had a lot to say about Barça’s qualification to the final: “I didn’t play because I was injured in that second game. I think Barcelona were better overall than us. But it was, for me, the worst refereeing in the Champions League. There were a couple of clear penalties. One also in a play of Anelka with Piqué, I had never seen in the Champions League such bad refereeing. With 1-0, we would have scored the second one for sure. It would be more difficult for Barcelona, but Barcelona had a spectacular team. But in that game, on that tie, Chelsea were much harmed.”
