Dani Alves made an unexpected return to FC Barcelona in November last year after a terrible start to the season for the Cules. With Ronald Koeman no longer at the helm, Xavi Hernandez took the reins of the first team and gave the green light to the arrival of his former teammate.
Alves, who had left Camp Nou as a free agent in 2016 after winning multiple trophies with the club, went back to Barcelona at a time when the team was struggling both in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Xavi eventually got the team back on track, despite it finished the season trophyless.
Alves got to play 17 games in his second stint at Barca, but the club decided his veteran presence was no longer needed for next season. The 39-year-old defender, who is once again a free agent, is grateful for the opportunity Xavi and Joan Laporta gave him, but he is still disappointed with the way Barca treat their idols.
Dani Alves upset with the way Barcelona treat those 'who made history' at the club
“The only thing I didn’t like was how my departure was handled," Alves told The Guardian about his second stint at the Camp Nou. “Since I arrived, I made it very clear that I wasn’t any more a 20-year-old guy and that I wanted things to be done head-on, without hiding things. But this club has sinned in recent years.
"Barcelona don’t care about the people who made history for the club," Alves added. "As a culê [Barcelona supporter], I would like Barcelona to do things differently. I’m not talking about myself because my situation was another scenario. I am eternally grateful to Xavi and the president for bringing me back.
"It needs to improve the work outside the field. The mindset is totally opposite to what we built a few years ago. Everything that happens on the field is a reflection of what happens outside."
Though he said he's grateful for those who let him rejoin the club, Alves' comments suggest he has hard feelings for the way they let him go. While many would agree it was the best for the club, Alves has a fair point.
Many club legends have left the club on bad terms before, and this is not the first time a former Barca player notes that. Many years ago, Diego Maradona warned that Barcelona forget their idols 'too quickly.'
