Barca are perfect for me: Alves

Barcelona’s right-back Daniel Alves has hailed Barcelona as the perfect team for him, and compared Barca’s style of football to Brazil’s.

There was some skepticism when Alves made the switch to Barca in a big money move last summer, but Barca and Alves have both had an excellent season so far.

“[People doubted] where I was going, if my family would be well, if I would be able to adapt my style of play to that of the team. But when Barça arrived, a team that played the football like no-one else, even though they were in a bad stage, I had no doubts,” he mused

“ It was rare to see Barça not winning anything. I knew that this was the perfect team for me: I wanted to come to Barcelona and not to any other team.”

He also had good words about coach Pep Guardiola, saying: “He treats everyone the same, whether you are new or very good. He has arrived with very positive concepts for a team that wants to win the title,” he said.

“That is the key of my adaptation, with some ideas to improve, and a little more. I feel at home, thanks to the confidence that the coach has given me.

“I have seen very notable improvements. Once one starts learning about team-mates and the coach, you begin to contribute things that at the beginning you did not consider important, but then you realise they are.  Above all, I have learned a lot tactically, to play without the ball.”

Guardiola not impressed by goal-less draw

Barcelona coach has said that his side did not perform well as they were held to a draw by local rivals Espanyol in the Copa del Rey quarter-final. The ex-Barca player spoke of not being happy with the players, even though he fielded a second string side in order to rest the star players.

This result ended a run of eight consecutive away wins for Barca, as well as being the first time that they had not scored for 28 matches.

“It was a complicated game against an intense side who were strong and I think we played well,” Guardiola told reporters. “Now we will see what happens next week in Camp Nou.

“It is not a bad result, but is also not great. In the cup it is good to score away from home and we have not done that. We are now obliged to be attentive in the second leg.

“One of the main reasons that his team did not score was that we have not managed to find a way through or to connect in midfield.

“When you are forced to play at the back you have to play long balls and then things become more a question of chance.

“There were a lot of interruptions that did not help us and meant that we could not find our rhythm of play.”

Guardiola demands Improvement

Despite seeing his charges smash five past Deportivo, Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola still wants them to kep improving. About the game, he said: “It is just one step more. There are still 19 matches and 57 points left. We are not yet champions.”

“It was not a perfect performance. We weren’t always flowing, and the centre-backs did not always support the wings.”

Looking ahead,he said: “We have a good feeling. We have many points, but there are still many things to improve. What comforts me is the spirit and talent of the players. The day we lose that, we will lose.”

Inter set to launch a bid for Eto’o

According to reports Inter Milan could be set to launch a transfer bid for want away Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian hitman, who has scored 89 goals in just 136 games during his time at Barca, finds himself out of coach Guardiola’s plans for the La Liga team and is adamant about leaving the club to take up a new challenge elsewhere.

The striker who has been looking highly likely to leave the Nou Camp all summer is expected back in Barcelona today to discuss his future with club officials but with only Mancini signing so far for the Nerazzurri, club president Massimo Moratti could easily finance the deal, and indeed is looking to make a big name buy this summer.

Where will Eto’o be next season? Only he can know!