Exclusive Andres Iniesta interview: "We want to make Champions League history"

The captaincy has arrived at the ideal moment for Barcelona's andres Iniesta. After 13 seasons in the first team and nearly 20 years at the club, his maturity and authority make him one of the most respected voiced in the dressing room. In less than a month with the armband, he has already helped Pedro through a difficult moment and lifted a trophy, his 25th with Barça. He hopes there are many more to come. 

When you look back on your time with FC Barcelona what goes through your head? 

A lot of things, above all the positive times. In such a long time with the club I have lived through so many experiences. Time passes and you continue where you want to be and you still have the motivation to continue doing things well. The collective aims [at the club] still remain and I am really happy to be starting another season with the same enthusiasm. 

What does the captaincy mean to you?

It's a nice responsibility. It's special to wear the armband for your club. You represent a lot of things to the club, to yourself and to your teammates, too. I'm happy to have the respect of the fans and the dressing room. 

What do you try to transmit to your teammates?

It's not a question of that. I feel the respect of my teammates and you have to accept each one as they are. I don't have any complaints because everyone is sensational. I've always said that. I have had the luck to share dressing rooms with really good people and that helps everything go smoothly. 

And the best part must be lifting trophies...

It's a nice part of being captain. I've already lifted the UEFA Super Cup and I hope to be lifting many more. 

The objective is to win everything this season?

Exactly. We always aspire to that and this year will not be an exception, but the line between winning and losing can be very close. Given how last season went, I think that this season can be another great year. 

Is the weight of so much success last season now a handicap? An added pressure? 

That's not something that affects our chances, but it will be difficult [to repeat the treble]. It's a challenge, though, and there are still things we want to achieve. It's clear that when you are the champion, everyone is more eager to beat you and it is more complicated, yes, but the challenge is to improve and overcome that. It will be another demanding seasons, but we will fight for everything. 

A positive is this is the second season with the coaching staff, so you must understand their ideas bettter? 

I think the team must go from strength to strength. When there are changes, there is always a process, mechanisms that have to click, and without doubt last season we could see that progression happening. We have to maintain the good sensations and work even more. The logic is to keep improving and to learn more and more every season. 

Is the Spanish Super Cup loss and the tough start to the season a concern? 

We would have like to win the Super Cup. We didn't do well well and in a final you pay for that, but the first two games in the league have been really good. Maybe they have not been spectacular in the sense of attacking and creating chances, but the level of play has been good. We feel stronger. We are happy. Now comes a tough game in the Calderon, the Champions League... like every season, let's go game by game. 

Players who've won it all, like you, must be desperate to win consecutive Champions Leagues? 

Of course, it's a nice challenge, but it will be complicated. It's in our head, though. It's not been done by any club. We couldn't do it in 2010 or 2012, but we go again. We have the team and the players to fight for everyhting.

You seem optimistic...

I think you always have to be optimistic, believe in yourself, your teammates, and from there see what happenes. For me, the team and my colleagues are the best and we have to fight for every title. 

It would be your fifth Champions League. Did you ever think that would be possible when you and the likes of Victor Valdes were first in the first team? 

Everything has been a dream. On a personal level, it's incredible. It would have been impossible to imagine everything that's happened, but not it has happened, I want to keep winning more. A fifth Champions League personally and a sixth for the club would add to Barça's history, but it is what it is. 

After winning in Berlin, you said it was difficult to evaluate what was happening. Can you now with more perspective? 

Neither us [the players] nor anyone else can evaluate it. Everything goes so quickly that you don't have time to savour things and thing about it. If you think about the last decade, it's been brutal. We are really proud of what we have done in that time at Barça, of all the titles we have won, and the enthusiasm continues to grow. 

Do you feel you've contributed to the club's transformation? 

When I was promoted to the first team it was a difficult moment [for the club] and we've all given a lot to change the situation. I feel proud and priveleged to form part of the most incredible club, the club that I love. 

Would you like your 26th trophy to be at the San Siro [2016 Champions League final]?

I hope it arrives before then, at the Club World Cup! I hope is comes in Japan and we close the year with out fifth title. The others we will fight for, although it's never easy. Now they say the Champions League group is easy, but that is never the case. Everything takes a lot of hard work. 

As the captain, is it difficult to talk with a manager in the tough style of Luis Enrique?

No, things are fine with the mister. I already knew him from before and we understand each other well. The first season is never easy. To reach objectives makes things calmer, though, and has strengthened us. Everyone gets on well with the mister. The group has come back strong, well and ready to move forward. 

Are you prepared to sort out any dressing room problems? 

It's not about sorting out problems. In life there are kinds of moments, some good, others bad. It's not important, it's just normal. Things happen of more or less relevance. We share every day together, there are a lot of footballers and it's not easy to have everything perfect. I can assure you that all the dressing rooms I've been in have been spectacular. You hear things happening at other clubs and you see that we have a lot of luck with our group of players. 

You've already been booked this season, do you feel you have to be around the referee complaining more as the captain? 

Come on, I just got one yellow at San Mames. 

But you were also protestign when Pique was sent off...

I don't get involved in those situations because of the armband, but because they are moments of a lot of tension. It's true that as captain you can talke to the referee more... but it's not something that's changed because I am captain. 

As for the refereeing decisions this season... how do you explain all the calls against Barça? 

There are always opinions. It's difficult to be a rereree. You are being watched by everyone and it's not easy to make decisions with such little time to really think. We just focus on playing football, doing as well as possible and winning games. They're things you cannot control. 

On an indivudaly level, have you evolved from Xavi, now creating more with Busquets? 

My play has continued to evolve, like everyone in the team. In football things vary with time, but what's most important it to be good, to take care of your performances and to feel good. Later, whatever way you play, you'll feel good. There are times when you control [the play] more, others when you try move forward quicker, to unbalance the opponent. That's not just this season, though, but every season. The essence of the game is to be yourself. 

From outside, the impression is that you enjoy playing more as a No.4, where you began as a youngster. Is that true? 

I've always like to play as an interior (No.6 or No.8). It's a position where you can control the game, be in touch with the ball and when you feel it's right, push forward. 

You always say you want to improve every year, but what areas can you still polish? 

I think I can improve everywhere. In all aspects of my game there's room to get better. 

Scoring more goals, maybe? 

I wasn't at the heights that I like to be at in terms of goals last season. Even though it's not something I focus on. In other seasons I scored a lot goals and gave many assists, but haven't judged myself on that. Last year I felt good in various phases of play and noticed I was still growing [as a player]. This year, I will try to recover those feelings and try every day to be a better player. 

Talking of the team, some fans are worried the squad will be short until January...

We don't know what will occur duuring this time. We live in the present and I don't know if it is an advantage or not to not have been able to register players this summer. It's true it's not a normal situation, but we have to move forward with what we have got. In any case, we will not use it as an excuse if results suffer. 

Was Pedro's exit emotional for the dressing room?

We have experience a lot together. Unforgettable moments, others not so good and it's not a question of being teammates, but of being friends and human beings. It's not easy to decide to leave a club like Barça. It's difficult to not want to be in a place like this and Pedro has been very brave. 

What happened with Mourinho [in games against Barcelona] must not matter for Barcelonistas?

All that matters is the performances that he's offered and produced for Barcelona, that is Pedro. He will always have the affection of people at Barça for all he has given to the club.