Alves: "Valdes has a very difficult task"

Barcelona player Daniel Alves gave an interview to French sports paper Le 10 Sport.





Was Barcelona facing a crisis before the game against Lyon?
We have never been in a crisis situation. We just had a bad period. But in the last game againt Athletic Bilbao, the team has regained the good feeling and we created a lof of chances.

For a while now, Víctor Valdés has been the target of a lot of criticism...
I've always said that Víctor Valdés is a great goalkeeper. It's a very important guy for the team because his task at a team that is so attacking as Barça is very difficult. He has the quality and the mental strength to deal with the criticism.

What do you think of Thierry Henry?
Personally, I admire him enormously. What he has done at Barça is impressive. A world star like him, who plays for the team and works with so much modesty, it's sensational! I'm extremely happy that he has been able to overcome the little problems he had during is first season here and that he has returned this strong.

What do you think of the French league?
It's certainly not one of the best leagues in Europe. But I think you can find some very good players there. The truth is that I don't really follow it because the Spanish television channels offer far more images from the Premier League or the Serie A.

Who are for you the most talented french players?
Obviously, I like Karim Benzema a lot. But I also like players like Hatem ben Arfa or Yoann Gourcuff.


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