Pique: Don't compare us to Pep

Posted Saturday, June 06, 2015 by Foxsports.com

Gerard Pique says the glory days of Pep Guardiola need to be forgotten as Barcelona go in search of a historic treble on Saturday night.

The Spain defender was part of the team that won La Liga, the Spanish Cup and the Champions League in 2009 and the club now stands on the brink of a repeat if they can beat Juventus in Berlin.

Pique was in confident mood throughout a press conference at the Olympiastadion on Friday, but refused to say whether Luis Enrique's current crop - spearheaded by Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez - is stronger than previous sides he has played in.

"I don't know if we play better or worse," he said.

"The main thing here is we are in the final of the Champions League. I hate comparisons. I hated it when we were not winning two years ago and we were compared with the team of Pep and I don't want to be compared now.

"It is mostly different players in the team and there will be different opinions. Some people will prefer how we played a few years ago but the important thing is it is working."

Pique says the players will be content with the two trophies they have already claimed this season, but admits there will be a sense of frustration to miss out on Europe's biggest prize.

But he is excited by the prospect of completing a "perfect" season and cementing their status as one of the best sides ever.

He added: "We have Leo Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta. We have an amazing team, one of the best sides in the history of our club.

"We weren't at out optimum at the start of the season but we have managed to turn the season around and have started winning and kept winning.

"Tomorrow is an excellent opportunity to prove to the world what we want to achieve and we can do it. It is an excellent time to show it and we are ready for that.

"It will be a great season whatever happens. If we win this Champions League final we will be writing history and it will be the perfect season like in 2009.

"To have two titles and reach the final of the Champions League is something we would have enjoyed anyway, but we are 90 minutes away from perfection this year and that is something we are going to try to do."