Alves: If you give me a couple of hours, I'll go and get Messi

Dani Alves was presented as a Barcelona signing for the second time in front of 10,378 supporters at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, and the 38-year-old has made clear that he still has a lot to offer on the pitch.

The Brazilian right-back was in good spirits as usual and, having made several calls to Barcelona president Joan Laporta to inform him of his desire to return to the club where he played between 2008 and 2016, Xavi Hernandez finally gave the green light for his former teammate to be signed.

"I wasn't born to be second, I was always first. I'm here to fight, I'm not here to pass time or to live in Barcelona," Dani Alves said during his presentation.

"I've come here to play and fight for a place [in the team]. It's not because I made history or because of my good relationship with Xavi.

"With my work I'm going to fight and try to contribute. Age is just a number. I just proved it at the Olympics. People will expect the best from me and I will respond as always."

Alves' desire to return to Barcelona had been much discussed, with it seeming like the club would go in another direction before a U-turn resulted in him arriving in Catalonia.

"I was very tough with the president and insisted that I wanted to come back. This club has given me everything I have," he explained.

"I didn't see myself under any kind of obligation, but I was happy to help... maybe that's why I passed the decision on to Xavi. He called me and told me he wants me to join.

"When you want something, you achieve it and it doesn't matter how much you earn, your salary...

"I need to support my family, the people I look after, but it wasn't the time to think about that, only about helping Barcelona. Everything else is secondary when you get a call from Barcelona.

"We are willing to do anything to see Barcelona at the top of the table, winning trophies..."

Messi

Lionel Messi was one of the players Alves had a great relationship with during his first spell at Barcelona, and he admits that it is a shame they will not be playing alongside each other now.

"If you give me a couple of hours, I'll go and get him," Alves joked when asked about Messi.

"History has been written and he will always be remembered. He' s the greatest thing I've ever seen and had as a teammate.

"You always miss the greats, it's normal, especially if you have a good relationship with them. It would have been incredible to see him here, but it wasn't to be. I've been to many places, but there's no place like Barcelona."

Alves' contract

Alves has signed a contract at Barcelona that runs until June 30, at which point he would be 39 years old, and he understands that he needs to perform well if he is to prolong his stay at the Camp Nou.

"I have until June [to impress] and then everything can be talked about, it will depend on the results," he commented.

"If my grade is 4.5 [out of 10] I'm out... you have to have a high grade to stay."

Barcelona have underwhelmed so far this season, sitting ninth in LaLiga Santander and on the brink of elimination in the Champions League, but Alves thinks they can go back to basics under Xavi.

"I think the team are doing well, with young players, but things can be done better," Alves stated.

"That's Barcelona's style, doing things differently but all in tune with each other. We set the standards for [playing with] the ball and we have to show the youngsters that there is no margin for error. I'm sure we'll enjoy ourselves again."

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