In the ever more secretive world of football, where players tend to stick to pre-prepared sound bites to stay out of trouble, people like Dani Alves are rare gems. The Barcelona fullback talked at length to unravel the problems which have been stifling Barcelona recently. The only way to understand why the team is in a position where it has to pull off a heroic feat against Milan in the Champions League is by taking a long, hard look in the mirror.

Q. It looks like Barcelona is playing for much more than a place in the quarterfinals.

A. It's important, because it seems like we can't get it right at the moment; that the team is finished. And that's not the case. We're the same as before, the ones who have captivated the world of football. It's going to be a big day for us; we have to enjoy it and be at the top of our game. But we have to pick up the pace as much as possible, because that's what's made us different from the rest. Barça is a team that is admired by the whole world when it's playing at the rhythm it should be. If there's no intensity, we're just normal.

Q. How can you recover the magic?

A. I don't think that we've lost the magic, but that intensity which sets us apart from the rest; that hunger when we pressure the opponent after losing the ball...

Q. Are you telling us that you've lost that hunger?

A. Exactly, we've lost the hunger to want to beat our opponents. That drive that we had before, we're not seeing it anymore, and that's contagious. We have to get it back, and we're working on it. If we work at it, we can get it back.

Q. What have you learned?

A. Bad things happen to teach you something. To tell you that when you back off, you'll be left behind and will no longer be a team that is admired. We can't let that happen. And we have a great opportunity to turn it around.

Q. Leo Messi has looked a little down recently.

A. I think he's the same on a day-to-day basis; I think he's fine. But I'm no hypocrite; I don't dress things up. It's obvious that he's been lacking some spark in recent games. Why? I don't know. I haven't tried to find out. I only want to know what people want to tell me. And if someone doesn't want to talk about their life or what they're going through, then who am I to ask? I respect his privacy. But I've noticed that his head has been down a bit more than usual. I think what sets him apart from the rest is that he has a lot of character and when he gets it wrong, he keeps trying.

Q. How are things without Tito Vilanova?

A. It's weird. Obviously, with all due respect to the people in charge at the moment, we miss him. We didn't want any of this to happen, but it has and we can't let it get to us. We can get through this with hard work and by playing well. He is analysing the team, watching our games and trying to help. But it would be easier if he was here.