Jordi Alba: “I've had a good transition"

Jordi Alba / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.
The defender said that the “excellent atmosphere in the dressing room” has made his transition into his new team easier and he denied that he was sick when he featured for the Spanish national team last week

“I wouldn’t have played if I had a fever”

Jordi Alba was very clear when he was asked if he was sick when he played for Spain against Georgia. “I felt sick on the way back from the game, not before the match. I wouldn’t have played. No one can play if they have a fever,” he said.

“It’s true that Adriano has played more, but there is no such thing as starters and reserve players in this team. We are all important and we’re all getting minutes on the pitch”
“We have an eight-point advantage, it’s important because Madrid are a direct rival, but we have to focus on Sevilla, they are the team that have conceded the least amount of goals this season”

Jordi Alba, one of FC Barcelona’s summer signings, talked about his transition into his new team. According to the Azulgrana, “my transition has been good. I’m lucky that I got to spend a lot of time here as a youth player and it’s been fairly easy to make the transition.” He noted that one of the biggest contributing factors to his fitting in with his new team-mates is “the excellent atmosphere in the dressing room.” He added that, “I knew most of them because I had faced them on the pitch and now I get to play alongside them.” In addition, Jordi Alba said that Carles Puyol and Xavi Hérnandez “are examples to follow.”

“I want to play as much as possible”

The defender thanked manager Tito Vilanova: “He’s very aware of how things are going for me and that’s a good thing. He’s a very hard-working manager and he knows what he’s doing.” After his bout with the flu, Jordi Alba is itching to get back to competitive play: “It’s true that Adriano has played more, but there is no such thing as starters and reserve players in this team. We are all important and we’re all getting minutes on the pitch. I’ve recovered from the flu and I want to play as much as possible, I want to feel important.”

Focus on Sevilla

Jordi Alba could feature against the rough-and-tumble Sevilla FC this Saturday at the Sánchez Pizjuán. So when he was asked about the upcoming Clásico, the defender said, “we have an eight-point advantage, it’s important because they are a direct rival, but we have to focus on Sevilla, they are the team that have conceded the least amount of goals this season.” The Azulgrana will possibly have to mark Jesús Navas, his team-mate in the Spanish national team. “He’s a great player, he’s incredibly fast and he creates danger every match he plays in. It doesn’t matter who gets the start, we’ll try to stop him,” said Jordi Alba.