Daniel Alves da Silva (born 6 May 1983 in Juazeiro), commonly known as Dani Alves, is a Brazilian footballer. He plays as an attacking 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 €32.5m, becoming the most expensive defender to date. Alves won the Treble in his first season with the club and a further Spanish super cup, European super cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, thus achieving the Sextuple. 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. On Thursday, September 29th 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.
Daniel Alves made his professional debut for 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, halfway through 2002.
After 2002–03, on loan to Sevilla FC 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.[5] In December 2006, he signed a new contract with Sevilla, tying him to the club until 2012. 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.
On 1 August 2007, Alves told SporTV that he wanted to leave Sevilla for a European giant, 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. 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.
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." 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.
After a public war of words between Alves and del Nido and the death of team-mate Antonio Puerta, Alves decided to stay with Sevilla, with player and president appearing reconciled.
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. 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 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. He made his La Liga debut in the season-opener away to Numancia on 31 August 2008. Dani Alves missed the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final due to a yellow-card suspension; Barcelona beat Manchester United 2–0 and thus completed The Treble. In his second season at FC Barcelona, the club retained the La Liga title, and in the 2010-11 La Liga season, Alves was instrumental in Barca's winning of their third consecutive La Liga title and fourth Champions League title.
Barcelona faced Real Madrid four times in less than one month. On 27 April 2011, in the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg, Pepe was sent off for a late challenge on Alves early into the second half, in an eventual 0–2 home loss. The UEFA has opened a disciplinary case against Real Madrid for the "red card shown to Pepe". Alves was heavily criticized for feigning injury.
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