This is turning out to be an incredible season for FC Barcelona as the La Liga leaders set about tearing up the record books. Perhaps more than any other player, Dani Alves encapsulates the team’s philosophy under Pep Guardiola: a devastating combination of a tireless work ethic combined with energy in abundance and an insatiable desire to attack. The Brazilian defender moved to the Camp Nou in the summer following six impressive seasons at Sevilla and, after taking a while to settle, is really starting to live up to his reputation as the most expensive, and best, right back in world football. In an interview originally recorded for Sky Sports’ Revista de la Liga, Dani told me all about life under Guardiola, why he chose Barcelona over Chelsea and what it’s really like to form a devastating double act with Lionel Messi…
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Guillem Balague: What else can we say about this Barcelona side? It has been an extraordinary season!
Dani Alves: 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. We have assembled a group of ambitious players and now we must hope that ambition can be translated into success.
Guillem: The last time I saw you there was a huge offer on the table from Chelsea. You thought you would be going to London. You have ended up at Barcelona…would you consider yourself lucky?
Alves: 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. Thankfully it all came together and I am very happy to be playing my football here.
Guillem: It was a difficult start for you. It seemed that you were a little bit lost, tactically speaking, to begin with, but now everybody is saying that you are back to your best…
Alves: 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. But I prefer to have started like that and improved. I knew I had to aim for more. In a way it is better than getting off to an unbelievable start and then having people expect that to be your level of play every week. 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.
Guillem: Is your partnership with Lionel Messi the best right wing duo in the World?
Alves: Well I always say that we have the best player in World: I don’t know if it the best wing partnership in the World, but what I do know is that Messi is a fantastic player who is not only outstanding at Barcelona but in terms of World football also. It is a pleasure and a privilege to play alongside him.
Guillem: 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?
Alves: 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. The truth is that, as long as we continue to add something different to things, then I will be happy.
Guillem: 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?
Alves: Whenever our schedule allows, we try and get together. Whenever we have the time we do try and do something. 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 because it is often the case that we spend more time with our teammates than we do our own family. When we are together, that is how it should be, and then away from the team players can get on with other things.
At Barcelona we share the same ambitions and, when that is the case, everyone is on the same page. 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.
Guillem: 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?
Alves: 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 treat every game like it could be the last of my life and enjoy every moment on the pitch. 
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.
Guillem: How much has your upbringing led to that attitude towards what you do?
Alves: 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.
Guillem: Do you think that what you have just explained is perhaps the reasons that the likes of Robinho and Kaka have to consider opportunities posed by clubs like Manchester City?
Alves: I think that as players you know where you are happiest and feel most comfortable. When a player takes the decision to move or to stay it is always in search of an improvement. One has to consider what is best for those important to you as well as your own happiness. No one is a slave anymore and each individual has the right to go where they will be happy.
People often think that financial considerations come before everything else, but that is not the case, these are always big decisions with happiness and fulfillment at stake. I think that sometimes it is hard to understand when players take the risk of leaving a huge club to join a team looking to build for the future, but that decision is up to the players as an individual.
Guillem: What is Pep Guardiola like as a person? What is he like with you?
Alves: 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.
Guillem: And what is he like before a game? How does he work with you? What kind of training methods does he have?
Alves: 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.
Guillem: How does he deal with things on the day of the game: Changes he may have to make before or during a game?
Alves: He is a coach who is always looking for the best options for the team. He shows no bias or preference to any one player. He always keeps the starting lineup close to his chest so you always have that doubt about whether or not you are going to play; or start on the bench; or maybe not even make the squad! What that means is that all of the players build up to the games with the same level of intensity because you never know who is going to play. His intelligence combined with the level at which he immerses himself in each game have contributed to our success thus far.
Guillem: 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…
Alves: 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. If we can keep working like that for the rest of the season then we are on the right track.
Guillem: Can Barcelona win everything this season?
Alves: 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.
We have taken a stride forward in the cup, now we have to change our mindset for La Liga and then for the Champions League. 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.
