Q. Lionel, it must have been the best moment of your career when you won the Champions League back in May. How much would you love to repeat that success this season?

A. “We definitely want to win it all again. We are as motivated as we were a year ago and we want to continue making history with this group. We must be calm, take each game as it comes, and not think about titles or the Champions League final in the Bernabeu. We did that last season and ended up with the treble. We are aware that this season will be harder since every team will want to beat us. They [RealMadrid] have bought a lot of great players – it is hard to choose just one. But we are motivated, because we know how it feels t owin the treble.”

Q. You obviously played a major role in helping Barcelona win the Champions League last season – scoring the vital second goal in the final and finishing as the top goal scorer in the tournament. Do you enjoy taking all the praise for the team’s success?

A. “If we look back, it was the effort of the whole team that achieved that [last year]. Of course we scored goals in attack but we received the ball from the back and from midfield, so it’s really teamwork to play such attractive football. We have a lot of options in attack and if it’s up tome to finish a move then it’s also the work of a whole team. We deserved the victory for the spectacular football we played all year. The fans admire us and we deserve the reward.”

Q. Barcelona faced a number of tricky games during the Champions League campaign last year – none more so than the dramatic victory over Chelsea in the semi-finals. Do you think you were the best team throughout the competition?

A. “We’re a great team, we work hard, play well and had a great Champions League campaign. We scored a lot of goals and only lost to Wisla Krakowand Shakhtar Donetsk. After the group stages, we didn’t waver against Olympique Lyonnais or Bayern Munich – two of the strongest teams in Europe. It was hard for us against Chelsea in the semi-finals. We were suffering right up until stoppage time at Stamford Bridge. The fact we beat Chelsea, and the manner in which we did it, shows Barcelona aren’t just a good team – we have impressive mental strength, too.

In Spain, Chelsea gave us no space. They put four or five men in defence and we couldn’t score past them. But that didn’t make us give up. We were at their place and we were losing from early on but we gave them a fight right to the end.

That last move was just glorious – my heart nearly exploded when I saw Iniesta’s shot go in."

Q. How much did you enjoy winning the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League last season and what did it mean for you personally to see the Barcelona fans celebrating your European success?

A. “The people care forme here and I like being here very much as well. We have been enjoying ourselves. Fromthe start of last season above all else we were able to enjoy ourselves on the pitch and we also have the good fortune that the people are enjoying it with us.”

Q. A lot of people will put your European triumph down to your success on the field, but you must also have a lot of praise for the job Pep Guardiola has done in such a short space of time at the Nou Camp?

A. “I believe that the whole club believes in the vision he has. He has the trust of everyone and us players have confidence in him. We try to adapt his vision and work with a lot of happiness and desire. Step by step it works out. Guardiola is someone who knows a lot about football.

We trust him very much – the work we do all year and the seriousness with which we take things and how the coaches and players train and approach the games.”

Q. You have seen a major change in the squad during the summer, with Samuel Eto’o leaving for Inter Milan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joining the club as his replacement. Do you think that will make Barcelona even stronger in the Champions League this season?

A. "We already knew that Zlatan was a great footballer when he played at Inter. “Eto’o gave an impressive amount to Barca. He worked hard, created pressure, and score dmany goals. Ibra can give us that too because he has tremendous quality."