 Dani Alves before a Barcelona match in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Alves da Silva | ||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Juazeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Right back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Barcelona | ||
| Number | 22[2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Juazeiro | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2002 | Bahia | 25 | (2) |
| 2002–2008 | Sevilla | 175 | (11) |
| 2008– | Barcelona | 172 | (14) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2006– | Brazil | 72 | (5) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:51, 10 November 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 October 2013 | |||
Daniel Alves da Silva (born 6 May 1983), commonly known as Dani Alves, is a Brazilian footballer. He plays as an offensive right defender for FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team.
Before joining Barcelona, Alves spent a successful six-year spell with Sevilla FC, winning two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey with the Andalusian side. He joined Barcelona for €32.5 million,[3] becoming the third-most expensive defender of all time. He won the Treble in his first season with the club and in the next season, he won the Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. Also, he helped the club to clinch another Spanish Super Cup, two league titles, and a UEFA Champions League in the years that followed. Alves has held a Spanish passport since 2005.[4]
On 29 September 2011, Alves was appointed as a Special Olympics Ambassador for its Global Football program, charged with promoting respect and inclusion in football for people with intellectual disabilities, particularly in the run up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[5]
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[hide]Early life[edit]
Alves was born in Juazeiro, a city in the Brazilian state of Bahia, to father Domingos Alves Da Silva, a farmer. His father and brothers explained that he dreamed of being famous one day. His four brothers explained that he practised his signature when he was six by signing all over the walls and notebooks. Alves worked as a farmer or a trader in his young years. He would tirelessly work with his father, always trying to help his family in every way he could. Yet, Alves always gave time for his utmost passion: playing football with the neighboring kids. Alves' father Domingo had a passion for football as well, and eventually managed to organize his own football team. Alves, at the age of 10, started as a winger, but because of the lack of goals he had, his father re-positioned him as a right back, a position he still plays until now.
Club career[edit]
Bahia[edit]
Dani Alves made his professional debut for Esporte Clube Bahia in a match against Paraná Clube, for the 2001 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Bahia won 3–0, with Alves providing two assists and winning a penalty for the other goal. Coach Evaristo de Macedo proceeded to give him a starting place in the team from then on. His constant good performances landed him a transfer, at first on a loan, to Spanish side Sevilla FC, halfway through 2002.[6]
Sevilla[edit]
After 2002–03, on loan to Sevilla from Bahia, Alves travelled to play in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship where he impressed as Brazil won the tournament. He was named as the third best player of the tournament and, after this, the Sevilla move was made permanent.
In June 2006, Sevilla had agreed to sell Alves to Liverpool, but they were unable to match their asking price of around £8 million.[7] In December 2006, he signed a new contract with Sevilla, tying him to the club until 2012.[8] He had a successful 2006–07 season, making 47 appearances and scoring five goals. He also played in every one of Sevilla's UEFA Cup matches which the club went on to win.
From his years in Spain, he also acquired Spanish citizenship, thus allowing him to bypass any non-EU quota restrictions and exempting him from needing a work permit to play in any EU countries.[9]
On 1 August 2007, Alves told SporTV that he wanted to leave Sevilla for a European giant,[10] later reiterating his desire to leave Sevilla to Marca, stating that he was flattered by Chelsea's interest and that he could never turn down such an opportunity.[11] In an interview with Antena 3 on 8 August, Dani Alves confirmed that his agent had been in England for some time handling Chelsea's offer, urging Sevilla to at least consider the offer.[12]
On 16 August 2007, Sevilla rejected an unspecified Chelsea bid and, six days later, rejected another two bids from Chelsea for Dani Alves, considering them to be "way below what was expected."[13][14] Alves later revealed his dismay with Sevilla president José María del Nido for having knocked back Chelsea's offers for his services after his move to Stamford Bridge collapsed, with Chelsea signing fellow Brazilian full back Juliano Belletti for a much lower fee.[15]
After a public war of words between Alves and del Nido[16] and the death of team-mate Antonio Puerta, Alves decided to stay with Sevilla, with player and president appearing reconciled.[17]
Barcelona[edit]
On 2 July 2008, Alves joined FC Barcelona. He left Sevilla in tears and said that he would love to play for Sevilla again. He said that he came to Sevilla as a boy and is now leaving as a man, but later broke down in tears at the press conference.[18] The official price of the transfer stands at £23 million up front, with about £7 million more to pay depending on a number of performance related factors over the next few seasons of Alves' Barcelona career, making him the world's most expensive defender[19] and the third most expensive player bought by Barça. He signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, that includes a buy-out clause of €90 million.
Alves made his competitive and European debuts for Barcelona against Wisła Kraków in the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League third-round qualifiers on 13 August 2008.[20] He made his La Liga debut in the season-opener away to Numancia on 31 August 2008.[21] Dani Alves missed the 2009 UEFA Champions League Finaldue to a yellow-card suspension; Barcelona beat Manchester United 2–0 and thus completed The Treble.
In his second season at Barça, the club retained the La Liga title and won the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, and in the 2010–11 season, Alves was instrumental in Barcelona's winning of their third consecutive La Liga title.
On 28 May 2011, Alves played in his first UEFA Champions League Final as Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3–1 at Wembley Stadium to win its fourthEuropean Cup.
In 2011–12, Alves was part of a Barcelona team that won the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup. In 2012–13, Alves won the La Liga title for the fourth time in his five seasons at Barça.
In 2013–14, Alves switched his shirt number to 22 in honor of his best friend and ex-teammate Eric Abidal, whom he offered to donate his liver to during Abidal's battle with liver cancer.
International career[edit]
Alves made his Brazil debut as a substitute in an unofficial friendly match against Kuwait club Al-Kuwait Selection on 7 October 2006. Three days later, he earned his first international cap in a friendly against Ecuador. He was included in Brazil's team for the 2007 Copa América. He appeared in four matches including the final against Argentina, where he gave an assist and scored a goal in a 3–0 victory. Despite being the most expensive right-back in history, he has been unable to hold down a regular starting spot in the national team with Maicon being the first choice ahead of him. Alves came on as a substitute in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final against South Africa and scored the winner, a free-kick and a goal in the 88th minute in a 1–0 win.[22] He scored another long range free-kick against Iran on 7 October 2010.
