THE INDEPENDENT THE INDEPENDENT 68/Sport/Football/Champions League TUESDAY 17 APRIL 2012 TUESDAY 17 APRIL 2012 Champions League/Football/Sport/69

he riskiest thing you can do in football is not take BALE OF BARÇA? HE FITS any risks.” It’s one of Pep in his Guardiola’s favourite Barcelona office with THE BILL, BELIEVES ALVES mantras and no one play- his trophy haul and er embodies the philo- shirts of his celebrated sophy behind it quite like opponents MANEL CHICO Dani‘TAlves. The player for whom the description “full-back” just doesn’t even come close, will tomorrow night return to Stamford Bridge where in 2009, in the infamous Champions League semi-final second leg, he was typically all over the place, for better and, occasionally, for worse. He was caught out of position by Ash- ley Cole in the move that lead to scoring and he wrestled to the ground for what should have been a Chelsea penalty. But he was also galloping up the right wing three minutes into injury time and it was his cross that eventually came to Leo Messi, who passed to Andres Iniesta, who scored the away that put Barcelona into the final. He who dares wins; and he who dares lots wins 18 trophies in six years at club level. No one can match Alves’ average of three pieces of silverware a season since 2006. We are ensconced in the Barcelona office from where his new website danialves.com has been created and he is suited, booted and only missing the oversized glasses and pork pie hat he’s By PETE JENSON back you are not going to attack taken to wearing recently at the Nou in Barcelona as much but you are going to Camp for games when he has been in- attack better. The player who is “ was the kind of “I am a full-back with most like Dani Alves is Gareth player that if you put him up the top possibilities. I’m from Bale – at least that was the as a winger he would not play well. opinion formed within Barcelona He was not technically as good as the Brazilian school after the Tottenham man’s Bale. He attacked a lot coming where attack is king” destruction of Internazionale’s from deeper and, being further up Brazilian wing-back, Maicon, last the pitch, it was harder for him. jured or suspended – the nutty boy season. “He is a player I love to Bale is very good as a winger but I image is one of the reasons why his in- watch,” says Alves when asked would have him at the back. At credible record is so often overlooked. about the Welshman, whom club Barcelona he would be a full-back.” “The worst thing that can happen to scout Albert Valenti has watched One thing Alves is very clear you as a professional is to be in the hotel several times this season. about is that Bale will not be after the game with a coffee or a beer, Money remains a potentially signed simply because of the hype and to realise you could have done insurmountable barrier to Bale generated last season over those more,” he says. And has that ever hap- ending up as Alves’ team-mate, Champions League performances. pened to him? “No, never,” he adds, the with Valencia’s Jordi Alba looking “Barça always sign players who cabinet full of his medals and trophies a far more economical option. they know will fit into the team. It’s behind him a testament to his words. There are also doubts at the Nou never a case of, ‘Oh he’s playing Alves dismisses the argument that Camp about Bale’s ability to play well. People are talking about him a Chelsea’s elimination in 2009 was down in tight spaces as is often lot so let’s sign him.’ Barcelona look to the Norwegian psychologist and part- Alves could have been hurtling to how the game develops. It’s not the “People think that footballers go out most difficult thing is often the simplest at everything. They ask themselves timereferee, Tom Henning Ovrebo. “Peo- forward – or more likely being waved monotony of saying ‘you do this and I’ll for a kickaround and if they win, fine and that the way in which we pressure “In my team Gareth if the player can fit ‘here, here and ple say Chelsea could have won but for furiously back into position – in a Chelsea do that’. The success of Barcelona comes and if they don’t then fine too. But when the opposition is crucial to everything.” Bale would be a here’ and if they decide that yes, he the referee but that is not our problem. shirt that night. from us being able to adapt to each other’s you play at our level you have the obli- Many a defeated coach has been ex- would fit ‘there, there and there’, We were there to play football, to com- wanted to sign him from Sevilla in 2007 needs on the pitch. It’s responding to the gation to win. The pressure is huge and asperated by Barcelona’s unmatchable full-back. He is a then they make their move.” pete and try to get to the final. Chelsea but they wanted to keep him in what movements of your team-mates.” big teams and big players are scared too work rate. “I never thought that a team spectacular player” Is there still time for Alves to did not reach the final because of fear. was their first season in the Champions sometimes. It is overcoming that which could pressure the ball for 95 minutes move to the Premier League, “There’s no doubt that was the hard- League. Chelsea had also balked at pay- arcelona and Alves were al- makes you great.” as we do here. That is the thing that necessary at Barcelona against having come close once before? est game we’ve played but a team with ing more than £20m for a “mere” de- ways the perfect fit. When he There were doubts over Guardiola’s most surprised me. That is the way that suffocating opposition – but they “You always have to leave the a man advantage [Barça’s Eric Abidal WHODARES fender – which, of course, Alves is not. describes the team talk prior ability to incorporate the anarchy of Alves Pep makes Barcelona play. He convinces are not doubts shared by Alves. doors open because we don’t was sent off at Stamford Bridge] play- “I am a full-back with possibilities,” to last season’s European Cup when he first signed him. Most imagined great players that they have to play with “The idea Bale has of football is know what is going to happen ing at home and winning should have he says descriptively. “I come from the final win over Manchester he would curb the Brazilian’s enthusi- this high tempo. It’s his greatest virtue. really quite similar to the Brazilian tomorrow,” he says. “I am at the attacked us more. But if you don’t have Brazilian school where the emphasis is United you can tell he speaks asm for charging forward. They imag- “The first person to apply the pres- perspective,” he says. “He is a best club in the world but you stay that concept of football then you take always on attack and where I was brought the same language as his ined wrong. Perhaps that would have sure is our best player Leo Messi. That full-back in the Brazilian style. In open to things because in football a step back, and then another step back, up to be able to play in all positions.” manager.B “The only thing that Guardi- been necessary in ’s more pressure is the starting point for an en- Europe they play more you serve a purpose for as long as until you end up out. “Full-backs with possibilities” in Eng- ola asked us to do was attack,” he says. pedestrian team of 2003-08 but the high tire concept – to be a great team you need defensively so they tend to play you are delivering and, if the coach “It’s the losers who take the step back; land don’t always get an easy ride. Would “It’s the only way to win against teams intensity Guardiola imposed demand- to have everybody willing to go hunting him as a winger, but in my team no longer needs you, then you the winners are the ones who take the Alves risk being lambasted for desert- that are strong physically. ed Alves be the player he had been at for the ball. And you do it for each other. he would be a full-back. He is a don’t serve a purpose any more step forward. I think Chelsea lacked the ing his post were he to play in the Pre- “You can’t let them have the ball. If Sevilla. “Sometimes the most difficult Tomorrow you will do it for me and the spectacular player.” and you have to look elsewhere.” courage to take that step forward.” mier League? “I would have to defend they have the ball you have to go and thing about Barcelona is not the way they day after I will do it for you. The idea is that playing Bale in a And, as he says he has no With so many penalty appeals to dis- a little bit more but just as I adapted to get it back. We knew it was an historic play but the way they understand the “Pep manages to keep everybody in deeper position gives him a running interest in coaching when his cuss post-match that night there was WINS being a full-back here in Spain, if one game. We were playing the final at Wem- game,” he says. “I have improved tacti- that right frame of mind. The idea that start at defences and introduces an career finishes, what about little time to dwell on the then Chelsea day I have to play over in England, then bley… what more could we ask for?” cally under Pep. I have learnt that the everything is very lovely and yeah we’ve element of surprise that he loses becoming a referee? He would manager Guus Hiddink’s decision to I will attempt to change and to change His enduring memory from that day won lots of titles doesn’t hold. It is done playing as a winger. Alves uses certainly never have any trouble replace the injured with Barça’s rampaging full-back the concept of what a full-back does.” is Nemanja Vidic taking time out to con- now. It is history and we go back to work.” Roberto Carlos, who was briefly keeping up with play. He the defender Juliano Belletti with 20 It’s a myth that Alves can’t defend, it gratulate him personally. “He said that Alves smiles and gestures to the sil- and disastrously used as a winger shudders: “I would never be able minutes to go, but Alves has not forgot- Dani Alves tells Pete Jenson is just that at Barcelona it sometimes the team that we had was just spectac- verware behind him. “One thing I have by Roy Hodgson in his time at Inter, to make those decisions. People ten the message it sent out. isn’t his primary job, or as he puts it – ular. When you get that from another learnt is that all this is just decoration,” as the perfect example. don’t much like me as a footballer “We realised that they had renounced at the Nou Camp that attack it’s everybody’s job. professional it matters so much more. 10 he says. “It fills the cabinet. But beyond “They put you further forward, so imagine what it would be like if the game. We realised that at 1-0 they “Everyone has to help attack and every- “When I’m sitting on the sofa at home Number of assists the trophies, what remains for you is thinking that you will attack more, I was a referee.” were satisfied. All they did is get the ball one has to help defend,” he says. “At the I’m the best player in the world but when Made by Dani Alves in the league the feeling of ‘Woah! What a great team but you actually end up attacking LAMPARD: BRING ON BARCA, andthenget rid of it. They gifted us pos- is the best form of defence – start everyone has their position but you have got to go out there and play this season, more than any other full- we had; what great team-mates; what less effectively. Playing further PAGE 67 session. And the worst thing you can do when the ball starts rolling then under enormous pressure it’s not so easy back in any of Europe’s major a great group.’ That is what I want to with Barcelona is give us possession.” and next best is hard work everyone has to adapt according and fellow professionals understand that. top-flight leagues. take away at the end of it all.”