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La Liga is more difficult to win than Champions League, says Alves
10-Mar-2013 5:17:00 AM
The Blaugrana full-back says he believes winning the Spanish domestic league is a tougher challenge than winning the Champions League
Barcelona defender Dani Alves says winning the Liga is more difficult than securing the Champions League trophy.Alves made the comments after his side's 2-0 win over Deportivo on Saturday lifted Tito Vilanova's men 14 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, with Barca now preparing for the second leg of their Champions League tie against AC Milan on Tuesday.
"For me, it is more difficult to win the league, and thus more valuable, because everything is spread over 38 games," the 29-year-old told reporters.
"To be champions and winning means so much to people, making it a very important competition.
"Every competition has its own value, and talking about the importance of the Champions League should not detract that of the league's either."
The Catalan giants host Massimiliano Allegri's men in a make-or-break encounter to continue their European adventure in midweek, and Alves is hopeful the team has left its recent troubles behind.
"Everything that has been happening lately is mental. When things begin to go negative, sometimes we just have to cover our ears and not let such circumstances influence us.
"Not conceding goals tonight gives us confidence. It's been a while since we've been able to recall this feeling. The goal today was to get a win, in order to put ourselves on the right track for Tuesday."
The Camp Nou outfit will have to fight back from a 2-0 deficit after the first-leg.
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