THIAGO ALCANTARA

Now it's up to me to prove that I can play for Barcelona and help the team to stay at the top.

I just want to be on top of my game, because that benefits my team-mates as well.

It's the perfect club for any footballer to develop and to grow, because as everybody knows, La Masia can give you stability; they take care of you when you leave home.

Munich is a spectacular city with fantastic flair and a tremendous passion for football.

You always want to play with the best.

Leo is the best player in the world; that is very clear.

It's just a coincidence that I've scored two headers. I'm not a specialist scoring headed goals.

In Spain, everything's more tactical, more technical, with more possession. In Germany, it's more physical; it's about the runs you make, the counterattacks, and the German mentality is unique: whatever the score, you go to the 90th minute.

One of my dreams is to lift a title with Spain. I lifted titles in the past that did not feel like mine.

I never thought of playing for Italy.

When I was small, I would sit next to my dad and watch the round-up highlights programme with him, and we would talk about the games. I loved it.

You can play football in Bayern, in Barcelona, in Manchester, in London, wherever. In the end, it's football, and you want to play with the best.

I extended my contract here with Bayern because I am happy. I am very thankful of the club and how they supported me regarding my injuries. That is why I put my contract extension into motion so early.

I don't regret the move to Bayern. It's a very good moment for me, also because my team-mates trust in me.

All of you know how Pep Guardiola is as a manager... he is the best coach in history.

I want to be a footballer. I don't want to do anything else.

We have to play football and not talk. We don't talk about politics, the personal opinions, and debates - you take them home. We only talk about football. That's what we are here for.

For any dad who has two footballing sons, to have them in a semi-final and know that at least one will reach the final is the best present in the world.

Football's become more physical. I would have liked to have been born 10 or 20 years earlier to enjoy football with the same commitment and desire but without the toughness it has now.

I arrived in Spain at three years old when my dad played in Valencia. Then we spent a lot of time in Vigo in the northwest part of Spain.

I'm thrilled to be at a massive club like Bayern Munich.

Football is global; it does not end at Barca.

When you master all defensive and offensive aspects of the game and always enjoy the majority of possession, you're sitting in pole position to win.

In Italy, they are incredibly competitive. It may be that their game is more defensive, but they defend so well; here in Germany, there is more speed and intensity. In England, they are more direct, very box-to-box.

Football's always been cerebral. The most important thing is thinking fast.