Pep Guardiola insists Barcelona will not abandon their attacking instincts when they face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
Both sides are renowned for their commitment to free-flowing football, and there is a hope amongst neutral supporters that their respective styles will not be compromised when the sides face each other.
“Since I took the job our play has been marked by brave, attacking football,” Guardiola said.
“Sometimes we’ve been bold and, occasionally, I think we’ve played audaciously.
“It’s a philosophy of football. Win or lose I want us to show who we are and what kind of football we believe in. I want my team to go out and be themselves.
“Those of us lucky enough to work at this level in our profession must never forget that it’s only a sport.
“We live in a world where everything is spiralling in cost and many people need to make a big sacrifice in order to go and watch a game of football.
“So for me it all makes sense, the effort, the work, the planning, the concentration and the discipline, if you do it for the people.
“The manner in which we play is a demonstration of the respect we have for the people who pay for a ticket or pay money to watch matches on television.”
