Christensen: We Have a Greater Passion to Reach the Final, and I Want to Continue with Barcelona

Danish defender Andreas Christensen, a player for FC Barcelona, confirmed that his team has a greater motivation this season to reach the UEFA Champions League final, emphasizing the difficulty of facing Newcastle United at St. James' Park in the first round of the group stage.

Christensen said about the match against Newcastle: "We have a greater passion to reach the final, this is a clear goal for us, being eliminated from the tournament last season, and the way it happened, especially in the last minute, was very painful, so we are motivated to go as far as possible this season."

He added: "St. James' Park is one of the toughest stadiums I have played in during my career, the atmosphere is amazing, and the fans play a big role in supporting their team, we have to be fully prepared, because they will push Newcastle with all their might."

He continued: "Every tackle and every movement on the pitch carries a message from the fans, so it will be difficult to maintain calm, but we have to deal with it professionally."

Regarding his future with Barcelona, he confirmed: "My desire has always been to stay at Barcelona, and I want to be part of the club's plans. During the summer, I clearly stated my position and informed the club that I would not participate with the national team so that I could prepare well for the new season, the club understood my decision and agreed to it."

On his physical condition and competition in defense, he said: "I feel that I am in excellent shape now, I worked hard during the preparation period, and the medical and technical staff take great care of us, the hardest thing I faced last season was the long absence, but now I am ready to work and participate."

He concluded: "The defense is performing well, especially with the reliance on the advanced defensive line, and there is strong competition in every position, no one is guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup anymore, due to the density of matches and the variety of tournaments, everyone will get their chance."