Dani Alves

Biography of Dani Alves

Dani Alves (born May 6, 1983) is a professional soccer player. He was born in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil. He played for Paris Saint-Germain Football Club from 2017 to 2019. His full name is Daniel Samuel Alves da Silva. Since 2006, he has played for the Brazilian national team, with whom he recently won the 2019 Copa America. He made his professional debut in 2001 with Esporte Clube Bahia, winning the Campeonato Baiano and two Copas do Nordeste.

 

Dani in the Spanish League

He later joined Sevilla Football Club, with a transfer fee of €500,000. In January 2004, the Sevilla team acquired him permanently for €850,000. At this team he played as a fullback, but his style has always been offensive. He also performs well in the midfield and even in the forward position, he played in a game as a forward against Sevilla and Zenit St. Petersburg. In 2003, he made his official debut in the Spanish League against RCD Espanyol. His first goal came on November 9, 2003 against the renowned team Real Madrid. In the summer of 2005, he acquired Spanish nationality.

In August 2007, Dani expressed his desire to play for Chelsea F.C. in the English Premier League, but Sevilla’s high financial demands prevented the transfer from happening. This caused several problems with the team, to the point where he refused to travel to play a crucial match against AEK Athens for their Champions League qualification. A year later, he was finally transferred to Football Club Barcelona.

 

Alves at Barcelona (2008-2016)

On July 2, 2008, Alves was officially presented as a Barcelona player, with his contract lasting until 2012. At the event, the president of the club, Joan Laporta, referred to him as “the best right-back in the world.” His transfer fee of €35.5 million made him the second most expensive signing in the club’s history after Marc Overmars, later surpassed by Zlatan Ibrahimović. He scored his first goal for Barcelona at the Camp Nou against UD Almería on October 25, 2008.

Alves played for Barcelona until June 2016. He became an integral part of the team’s defense and established himself as the starting right-back. His contributions to the team and his performances were always admired for his attacking ability, speed, assists, and free-kick taking. In the 2013-14 season, he wore the number 22 in honor of his former teammate Éric Abidal. At that time, he was the second foreign player with the most appearances for Barcelona.

In 2014, rumors of his departure from the team began to surface. Barcelona attempted to renew his contract for one more season, until 2016, but the negotiations were unsuccessful. However, Dani later renewed his contract until 2017 with an optional extension to 2018. But in 2016, he left Barcelona to join Juventus in Turin.

 

From Juventus to PSG

He only played one season with the Italian club, winning two titles and reaching the final of the Champions League. In 2017, he joined Paris Saint-Germain of the French Ligue 1 and was presented as a new player for two seasons. With this team, he was the star player and became the champion of the 2017 French Super Cup.

On May 8, 2018, Dani was crowned champion of the French Cup after defeating Les Herbiers. In June 2019, it was announced through a post on his social media that he was leaving the team.

 

São Paulo (2019-21)

On August 1, 2019, it was confirmed that he had joined São Paulo FC, signing with the team until December 2022. However, due to delays in paying his salary, he did not show up to training on September 10, 2021, and was fired. Later it was known that the team owed him more than 11 million Brazilian Reals.

 

Return to Barcelona (2021-22)

On November 17, 2021, Alves was officially presented as the new player of Barcelona, returning to the team he had played for until 2016. He was called up for the first time since his return to the team on January 5, 2022, starting in the Copa del Rey match against Deportivo Linares. The match ended with a 1-2 victory for F.C. Barcelona. A month later, on February 6, Alves scored his first goal in a 4-2 victory against Atlético Madrid, provided an assist, and was sent off in the 69th minute. On June 15, 2022, his departure from Barca was confirmed after 6 months in the Club.

 

Pumas UNAM (2022)

On July 21, 2022, Alves signed with Pumas UNAM for the Apertura 2022. This signing marked his entry into the Mexican league. He will wear the #33 shirt.

 

Brazil National Team

Alves is an international with the Brazilian senior team, he was preparing to play in the 2018 World Cup but was unable to participate due to injury. He has played with the team since 2006, and has been a champion of the 2007 Copa America, the 2009 and 2013 Confederations Cup, and also played in the 2019 Copa America. He has accumulated over 41 national and international titles with clubs and the national team, and is one of the most decorated players in the history of football. In August 2021, Alves was also crowned Olympic champion.

 

Personal Life

In 2017, he married Spanish model Joana Sanz.

 

Scandal and Arrest for Alleged Sexual Assault

In January 2023, he was arrested in Spain on suspicion of sexual assault, and a judge ordered him to be held in pre-trial detention without bail while awaiting trial. Despite the accusations, Alves has denied any illegal or inappropriate actions and his wife, a Spanish model, has publicly supported him and stated that the accusation makes no sense. As a result of these events, his contract with Pumas UNAM was terminated.