Alves: "I joined the perfect club at the perfect time"

Barcelona player Dani Alves gave an interview to British television channel Sky Sports.





What else can we say about this Barcelona side? It has been an extraordinary season!
I think that the spirit in the side has been reinvigorated. There is a great sense of ambition amongst the players because it has been a few years now since we won anything. When a club as big as Barcelona goes through a prolonged spell without winning a trophy it is difficult. Now we must hope that ambition can be translated into success.

The last time I saw you there was a huge offer on the table from Chelsea. You have ended up at Barcelona... Would you consider yourself lucky?
Yes, I was lucky because I feel like I joined the perfect club at the perfect time. I feel like the way I play and my work ethic fits in perfectly here so when I found out about the offer from Barcelona I didn’t want to think about anything else other than coming to play here.

It was a difficult start for you. It seemed that you were a little bit lost, but now everybody is saying that you are back to your best…
Starting at a new club is always difficult, but I think that when you join a club as big as Barcelona there is always such a great level of expectation and pressure, it makes it even trickier. It usually takes a while to adapt but my teammates have supported me and it has been quite a quick process, every day I feel more at home here.

Talk to us about Messi: How you link up with him? How you work on and off the pitch? What kind of person is he?
Well we always joke amongst ourselves about how instinctive football is. There is not a specific training drill that can prepare us for what we are going to do on the pitch. We understand the way each other plays and are able to link up well on the pitch and add something to the team; which is the most important thing.

You have mentioned a new spirit amongst the players that has been like a breath of fresh air. Does that apply to off the field as well? Do you go out together? Do you go for meals together as a squad or even in groups?
Whenever our schedule allows, we try and get together. Of course away from the club we have different friendships but what I learnt from Joaquin Caparros is that when we get together we have to be like a big family. The atmosphere in the dressing room is fantastically positive, we are enjoying ourselves and that is what football is all about. It really is a pleasure to be part of this group.

You obviously have a Brazilian soul but when it comes to your work ethic you are Germanic in your efficiency compared to other Brazilians. Would you agree?
I think I have managed to combine those two sides of my character. My Brazilian energy and passion combined with the serious work ethic that I have picked up here in Europe. It is here that I have developed as a professional. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to bring those elements together. I have always said that we are fortunate to have football as our profession. To be able to do what you love and feel; the support of the fans is a privilege that I am lucky enough to be able to enjoy and that many people would love to be able to experience. Every day I try and show that football is a passion for me and as such one must live it that way.

How much has your upbringing led to that attitude towards what you do?
Yes, I think that when you go through tough times, it helps you to appreciate and value things in the right way. It makes you appreciate all of the opportunities that you get and perhaps, if you have not experienced tough times, you do not appreciate things as much. But I think that I have been very lucky to get through the difficult times and now I am here making many dreams come true. It was worth suffering the tough time to get to this point.

What is Pep Guardiola like as a person? What is he like with you?
The truth is that he is just another one of us. His way of life and the intensity with which he lives the games, combined with his intelligence, is formidable. We consider him to be like another member of the squad, he is still physically fit and can still play a bit. His style is quite similar to mine in terms of intensity, but he has such vast experience to draw upon that he lives football in a different way. He was always the kind of player that organized things on the pitch and that looked at football in a different way. I think that he is the perfect coach for Barcelona. His intelligence combined with the level at which he immerses himself in each game have contributed to our success thus far.

And what is he like before a game? How does he work with you? What kind of training methods does he have?
I think that sometimes you have to keep some of the training methods secret. Guardiola is a very thorough coach who spends a lot of time studying matches and our opponents. The truth is, he is training us in the right way and we are on the right path.

There is such a big points gap now between you and second place that sometimes, as a team, you can be your own worst enemy. We saw in the game against Osasuna that if you relax anybody can catch you…
It is true that in football, on any given day, any team can beat you. It is for this reason that it is crucial to always play with a high level of intensity, irrespective of the team that you are playing against. As the coach has made clear in his interviews, we do not look at it as first against last. Osasuna was a difficult game at a ground where Barcelona have not won may games. It is the kind of ground where it feels as if the crowd is on top of you. The reason we came through it was that we kept our cool and did not panic when things got tough. We knew what we had to do. We kept our shape and managed to turn things around. We proved on that occasion that this Barcelona is still a great team even when times are tough.

Can Barcelona win everything this season?
I think that when you are still in with a shout in all competitions then it has to be a possibility. What is not positive is to drive yourself crazy obsessing about winning everything. If you do that you could end up not winning anything. We must stay concentrated and focus on each rival as they come. You have to change your mindset for each competition. When the end of the season is close, we will be able to focus on our final objectives, but for the moment we must keep our feet on the ground, stay humble and appreciate the fact that, if we continue to work like this, we are on the right path.

read the full and original interview here


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