体坛英语新闻：Guardiola delighted with Mascherano capture

MADRID, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona coach Pepe Guardiola this Satuday highlighted the importance of new signing Javier Mascherano.

The Argentinean midfielder joined Barcelona on Friday after the Catalan side was able to agree a fee of around ?22 million euros (27.5 million US dollars) with English side Liverpool.

Mascherano's arrival will help compensate for the departure of players such as Rafael Marquez and Yaya Toure over the summer, but speaking ahead of his side's league debut, which is in Santander on Sunday, Guardiola insisted his side had signed more than just a defensive midfielder.

"He is going to give us a lot and I have to congratulate the club and the player on his arrival," he said.

"I know that most people see him as a defensive player, but he will give us a lot more than that. He will give us depth on the pitch and he has experience with the Argentinean national side."

Tactically he is a very intelligent player and I am certain we will be able to use many of the things he learned while at Liverpool. We are very pleased with his arrival," said Guardiola.

While Mascherano has arrived at the club, it looks as if striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich will be on his way out of the Camp Nou en route to AC Milan.

"I am certain that I have made mistakes with Ibra, but I am the one who has to decide. I am the one in change and nobody will change that while I am coach at Barca," said Guardiola.

"It is good that the players have the perception that someone is in change. I have to take decisions and I have taken them when Ibra has played as well as when he has not played," added the Barcelona coach.