Alves: Juventus not a step down from Barcelona

Alves won La Liga six times and the Champions League on three occasions as part of 23 trophies during his eight seasons at Camp Nou.

Published : Aug 08, 2016 18:08 IST

Dani Alves lines up for his Juventus debut against West Ham.
Dani Alves lines up for his Juventus debut against West Ham.
lightbox-info

Dani Alves lines up for his Juventus debut against West Ham.

Dani Alves insists his move to Juventus from Barcelona is not a step down in his career. The 33-year-old made his debut for the Italian champions in its 3-2 friendly victory over West Ham at London Stadium on Sunday. Alves won La Liga six times and the Champions League on three occasions as part of 23 trophies during his eight seasons at Camp Nou.

But he thinks Juve's standing means he has not dropped down a level since leaving Barca on a free transfer in June. "I have left a great team to go to a team of the same level," he told Tuttosport.

"Juventus is at the height of Barcelona for the players, for its successful history and for the fans. I do not think I have taken a step back because otherwise I would not choose this team. 

"The level of players that I have found here is very high, it is not only the new signings who allow us to aspire to the Champions League, but also the group that was already here last season. 

"There are true champions here - they know what it means to win and they know how to play to win." Juventus has a friendly against Cologne next Sunday before it open its Serie A season with a match at home to Fiorentina on August 20.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment