Barca coach Guardiola hurting after first failure

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-15 09:16

MADRID: Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola did not hide his pain after the aura of invincibility surrounding him and his team was finally cracked when they were dumped out of the King's Cup by Sevilla on Wednesday.

Barca coach Guardiola hurting after first failure

Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola reacts during their Spanish King's Cup soccer match against Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Seville January 13, 2010. [Agencies]

The holders won the second leg of the last 16 tie 1-0 in the Andalusian capital but a 2-1 defeat in last week's home leg meant they were eliminated on the away goals rule, Guardiola's first taste of failure since he took over last season.

"We are out and it hurts to be eliminated from this competition," the 38-year-old said.

"It's not good news, even if people will say that we can now concentrate on La Liga and the Champions League," he said.

"In sport we are not taught how to lose and this has affected us."

Barca, who can no longer match last year's feat of winning an unprecedented six titles, were last eliminated from a competition in April 2008 when they lost to Manchester United in the Champions League semifinals.

Guardiola had come under fire for using a weakened side in the first leg but he fielded all of his stars for the return, including Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and Barca came agonizingly close to going through.

Sevilla captain and goalkeeper Andres Palop was in stunning form, producing at least four brilliant saves, and Messi was denied by a post midway through the second half.

Reuters