Ex-Barcelona Defender Dani Alves Criticizes Barca Board
By Laieke Abebe
The former Barcelona defender spoke in an interview about his departure from Barcelona among other things.
Dani Alves was once one of the stalwarts in the Barcelona defense. From right back, he would attack with precision. In defense, he would stay smart and make the right decisions. Barca fans loved Alves during his time with the club. This is why it was unfortunate to see him leave after a great career with the Blaugrana. Alves left the Catalans for Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer last summer.
Since Alves left, Barca have seen many problems with their defense. Sergi Roberto, normally a midfielder, currently occupies the position the ex-Barca man once held. Despite his best efforts, Roberto hasn’t been at his best this season. With Aleix Vidal hurt, the team has to settle with the Spanish defender for the rest of the season. Dani Alves took the time to speak about his departure from Barca and how he was treated by the officials that signed him.
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“I like to feel wanted, and if I’m not, I’ll leave,” Alves said to ABC. “Leaving Barca on a free was a classy punch. During my final three seasons I always heard that ‘Alves was leaving’, but the directors never said anything to my face. [The board] were very false and ungrateful. They did not respect me. I was only offered a new deal when the FIFA transfer ban came in. That was when I played them at their own game and signed a deal with a termination clause. Those who run Barcelona today have no idea how to treat their players.”
Dani Alves would go on to talk about why he chose Juventus over the other great clubs in Europe. “I wanted to leave my comfort zone and compete at a high level for a historical, winning club,” he added. “Because I am a winner — and so are Juventus.” He certainly is a winner as he was a part of Barcelona’s recent treble season in 2015. Juventus are also big winners as they’ve been the kings of Italy for quite some time. Unfortunately for Juve, the third piece of Barca’s recent treble involved them as Barca won 3-1.
In conclusion, Dani Alves has done enough for Barcelona that he can make criticisms of the Barca board. Robert Fernandez and Josep Maria Bartomeu have made some questionable calls. Alves being treated horribly is a good reason to leave. For the two most important members of the board, they must treat the talent they acquire in the right manner. In addition, quick and good decisions must be made for contracts and other things of the sort. Barca fans have criticized these two before and it’ll likely happen again soon.