Alves: "I enjoy more when I gave an assist"

Barcelona player Dani Alves gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.




Tomorrow there will be another derby, with the two teams being situated at both ends of the table. You'll act differently knowing what's happening to your colleagues?
It's not a nice thing to see colleagues going through such a bad time. I never experienced that but it's clear you don't wish that to anybody. I think that it's the baddest thing what can happen to you. If you lose a title, that is probably because the opponent has been stronger than you, but being relegated is very painfull. But when the whistle goes, one forgets that and even more in a derby when you don't have any friends. I feel bad for Néné, whom I know, but we'll do everything to defeat them. I hope things will go well for them but that the good results only come after the Saturday game.

A pity that Iniesta is not around.
It's a bad thing. Basically because it's not the first time it's happening to him and because things were going so well for him. When you're making progress it's the worst thing that can happen to you. It leaves a bad taste but Andrés is a great guy who will quickly return.

Why are you all so cautious when people talk about the three titles?
Because we didn't win anything for two years and you can't expect the change to be so radical. You have to do things little by little and in the right way. The team wants to win something to stop the bad series and once we have won the first, we can go for the second. But it's only February and there's still so much ahead.

But it all seems to go that easy, everything turns out right, no?
It seems like that, but it's not. When people get used to it, it seems that a big win isn't something difficult. They should be aware that we won't always win 5-0. The opponent intends to slow the games down and people can become impatient but three points are three points.

You seem to have a great connection with Messi.
We feel more comfortable every day and everything goes better. But the team is working good as a whole.

What nobody will put in doubts is your solidarity, because of your twelve assists.
The task of a full back is to assist his team-mates and I enjoy more giving an assist than scoring a goal myself. It's what we have to do. That's how I learnt it and that's how I see it.

You think Real Madrid is far away?
Although they are saying that's not the case, we have an important lead. Not enough to get overconfident but it's big. In Madrid they say they won back two points last weekend but even then they're still far away.

The stands applaud you and they're not just being polite. Your goal celebration against Sporting was distinctive.
I enjoy myself and I want the people to do the same. Celebrating with my arms open, I invited them to have confidence in us and that's the case, right? But now we even need them more because we're at a key moment. Every game is like a final and they need to be there to help us. Since I joined Barça everyone has treated me very well.

A cup final Barça-Sevilla is coming close...
It would be special and nice but if we reach the final we won't be able to decide who will be the opponent.


Read more:
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Dani Alves about emotional return to Sevilla
Alves: "We're building a great team"