Cafu. Carlos Alberto Torres. Maicon. There have been a plethora of great Brazilian right-backs but at the moment, one name just about eclipses them. Step forward, Daniel Alves Da Silva. The boy from a modest background, who has gone on to conquer football at every point in his career, is still going on at 38, and it seems there is still one last hurrah in him, at the same location where he staked his claim as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Daniel Alves and Barcelona is one love story that has continued to wax strong, despite the acrimonious nature of his departure back in 2016. He is back at Camp Nou these days, offering support and much-needed trophy-winning experience to a squad in need of leadership and guidance. Still only last year, he helped Brazil win their second Olympic football gold trophy, and helped users of www.australianonlinecasinosites.com win big, meaning that the only trophy eluding him is the World Cup, which he still has the opportunity to win this winter if he is selected to represent his country.
In his pomp, Alves was a freak of a footballer, adept at both the defensive and attacking phases of the game that eluded his contemporaries, offering both guile, creativity, tenacity, pomp, skill, grit, all in equal and seemingly devastating fashion. At Sevilla, he was a key part of a team that won UEFA Cups, Spanish Cups, and when he joined Barcelona, he moved up another level. There, under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, he was part of perhaps the greatest club team in football history, racking up an incredible 14 trophies out of 19 available, and despite Guardiola’s departure, he continued to be the gold standard for right-sided defenders.
He also performed wonders under Luis Enrique, played at a very high level at Juventus and PSG before returning home to Brazil to play in a seemingly unfamiliar midfield role at Sao Paolo. He’s back in Barcelona, and with former teammate, Xavi, in charge, he is not expected to play a lot, but offer a lot of off-the-pitch guidance to the next generation of footballers donning the famous red and blue of Barcelona.
He has won a staggering 42 trophies in his storied career, and there’s nothing saying he can’t add more to it. Despite his age, he is still a tireless runner, losing none of the grit and determination that saw him become perhaps the best in his generation. Football will always remember Dani Alves, the tireless runner who is revered in both Brazil and Spain.
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