Luis Enrique has insisted that Dani Alves remains an important part of his first-team plans at Barcelona ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sevilla in La Liga.
Dinorah Santa Ana, the agent and ex-wife of the right-back, claimed on Thursday that her client would leave Camp Nou in the summer after he refused the club’s terms of a renewal, but the Coach is adamant the Brazilian still has an integral role to play this season.
“If I thought along the same lines as Dani Alves’ agent, he wouldn’t play another minute. Luckily I don’t,” he said at a Press conference.
“The players know how to live with controversy. [The Alves speculation] has no effect whatsoever on the players.
“Watching Alves in training [on Friday], I know it won’t distract him at all. The players know what’s at stake.
“[On Xavi Hernandez’s future], Barca’s best spell in their history coincided with Xavi’s best form.
“His statistics are there for all to see and can’t be compared. He’s a very special player.
“I’m very happy [with the performances from both Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta]. Andres gives us many options in the game.
“It’s a good thing [that we enter the end of the season injury-free]. It opens up more possibilities to the Coach.”
