“Only two people can get me to change my club,” says Sergio Busquets in this interview with ESPN, where the Barça third captain also talks about his impending renewal and addresses move to Manchester City rumor, how being the son of a footballer has influenced how he deals with the demands of being in one of the most successful clubs in the world, the MSN phenomenon, and what his goals are.

You’re a football player who doesn’t have the media impact that others do, but when you’re on the pitch it seems almost impossible to think that Barça would survive without you. How do you manage this?

I’m very pleased; this is what I’ve always wanted. I’ve wanted my work to be recognized for what I do on the pitch and not for things outside of it like being in the media or doing publicity. And I’m happy that the praise I get is because I’m playing well and helping the team.

Being one of the irreplaceable players for Barça you give an impression that you live happily outside the spotlight that focuses on big stars, that you don’t want the media’s attention.

That’s true. I don’t know if this is because I’ve always been this way or because I’ve experienced the life of a footballer as a kid when my dad was playing, but I’ve always wanted to be a normal person, to stay away from the spotlight, to do things well and live in peace in my day-to-day life. Given everything that comes with being a recognizable football player, I try to be as calm as possible.

What do you think of a parent who tells his kid: “Don’t focus on what Messi does, look at Busquets”?

I think that they should look at everyone. It’s clear that Leo is an almost alien player, that he does things that no one will be able to do and maybe what I am is a player who does things that with work and some talent you can get close to the level at which they generally play in the academy.

Do you know where your teammates are on the pitch before you get the ball?

Yes, I try to know how everything is positioned on the pitch. Sometimes you play by memory and sometimes you form an image a couple of seconds before you get the ball and I think that that is perfect for my position and my game because you have to do what you want to in the least amount of time possible. Playing for a team like this one you have very little time to think and very little space to move because of how the opponents play.

With a lot of players, when their renewals are being negotiated, there’s a lot of noise in the press about it, but with you there never seems to be a problem.

It’s clear that the staff’s intention, the club’s intention and my intention right now is that I stay here for a long time. They know what I think and I know what they think. The salary part won’t be a problem. It’s clear that I like my work being recognized from every point of view, but if it were just about money I’m sure there would be other clubs where I could get a lot more.

You’ve almost played 400 games for Barça B and Barça A and you’re still just 27 years old. Do you see a ceiling for this?

I’ve never set myself objectives like the number of games played or things like that. I focus on being well every season, trying to be available and to play my game as best I can to achieve the maximum amount of games, taking care of myself so that I don’t get injured… Hopefully when I finish my career here at Barça I can go down in history not only as a good player who won titles and helped the team, but also as one of the players who have the most games played for this club.

I’ve always said that there are only two people who can get me to change my club: my girlfriend, who is from here and a Barça fan so it’s not a problem from a personal point of view, and from a professional point of view, the other person would be Guardiola. It’s obvious that I owe him a lot and working with him again would be an honor for me. But he knows that this is my club, this is also his club and he knows that the best thing for me and for the club is that I stay here so I doubt he’d ask me to leave.

I suppose that you don’t pay attention to the rumors about Pep wanting to take players from Barça during the summer especially because you think that Pep is a culer and he wouldn’t want to hurt the club.

No, knowing him I think he wouldn’t do that. It’s clear that there’s the example of Thiago some years ago, but if a player wants to leave it doesn’t matter if it’s to this team or that team, if it’s with Pep or not, a player plays where he wants. But I’m sure that Pep wouldn’t intend to take the players who are happy here and are the pillars of the team.

Do you feel like the level of external criticism directed at the team has increased a lot in the last six to seven years?

Yes, because we’ve been in a positive dynamic and you’ve got everyone, not just the media, but the fans and the people involved in football in general, used to seeing you perform at a great level and winning trophies, so when you go through a rough patch where you don’t play well or you even get a couple of draws it’s normal that the criticism starts. This is football and you have criticism every day.

Has the rivalry with Madrid returned to a normal level?

Yes, it has. It’s the normal rivalry of the Clásico, of two teams that both have the objective to win everything, the rivalry between players, fans and everything in general. And it’s the way it has to be, this is a sport and we have to keep the rivalry as healthy as possible.

Earlier you told me that Messi is almost like an alien player. Do you think that with him, Neymar, and Suárez, Barça have the best attack in history?

It’s difficult to tell because there have been great players over the years who have won a lot and even here I had the pleasure to enjoy some great forwards, but I think they’re the best attacking line I’ve seen in football in my 27 years. Based on statistics, on the way they play, on the spectacle they provide and on the titles they’ve won, they’re the best I’ve seen.

What would you respond to the people who say that Barça depend on its forward line too much?

It’s partly true, because from an offensive point of view they are our pillars, they’re the ones that make the difference. Goals win games and trophies and they score a lot, but in the end, we’re a team that also has other qualities and great players in every position.

Barça were the last team to win two Copa del Rey trophies in a row, now you have the chance to do it again, to make history again.

I always say that when we won the first treble and then the sextuple with Pep, we all thought that no team would be able to achieve that again for a lot of years and six to seven years later, we won it again. That’s what we’re here for, to work, to do the best we can, and to keep on making history so that this wonderful moment gets extended for as much time as possible.