Brazil fans: 'Dani Alves attending the World Cup is an unfair joke'
Controversy about Alves broke out shortly after coach Tite named this veteran defender at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on the morning of November 7.
Besides the age factor, Alves has had no practice in the past two months, since the match UNAM Pumas lost to Puebla FC 1-2 on September 23. He even missed the last match of UNAM Pumas in the Mexican league - losing to FC Juarez 1-3 on October 1 - due to injury. Since then, the 39-year-old defender has trained and recovered from injury with Barca's B team to stay fit for the 2022 World Cup.
"Someone has to explain. How did a player playing in Mexico get on the Brazil squad for the 2022 World Cup? Alves had a chance to attend the World Cup, but never helped. To Alves At its peak, Brazil could not win the championship," the Mediotiempo site quoted a Brazilian fan as commenting.
"Brazil has good players in the top clubs in the world, and they want to tell me they are the best. This must be a joke," another commented. "A player who has been on vacation for many years, eating only tacos in Mexico recently, but was able to attend the World Cup," one fan sarcastically.
Some opinions consider the decision to call Alves to the 2022 World Cup as an "insult" to other right-backs who have trained and played hard in the past.
During the press conference announcing the 2022 World Cup squad on November 7, Tite explained the decision to summon Alves: "The criteria that I apply to Alves are the same as for all other players. He adds aspects. Technically and tactically, to be a ball-developing player Alves no longer has a 60-70 meter sprint, but has many other qualities. mentally and physically".
According to Brazilian team doctor Fabio Mahseredjian, the team's coaching staff closely monitors Alves' injury situation. With the data provided by the Barca medical team, Mahseredjian believes the 39-year-old defender will be in the best shape before the 2022 World Cup.
Contributing to the list of 26 players to Qatar, Alves became the oldest Brazilian player to attend the World Cup, breaking the record set by the late player Djalma Santos when he attended the 1966 World Cup at the age of 37. Santos is considered the best player in the world. one of the greatest right-backs of all time, having participated in four World Cups with Brazil, winning it in 1958 and 1962.
Alves got his chance to play at the World Cup for the third time, after 2010 and 2014. He missed the tournament four years ago in Russia because of a ligament injury. Alves currently has 8 goals in 124 appearances for Brazil. "Today is the day of victory and I am very happy. I am very proud to be called up to the Brazil national team. Four years ago, I was seriously injured. The tears that were of sadness that day turned into joy. today," Alves said in a video on Instagram, when he heard that coach Tite was called up for the 2022 World Cup.
Alves returns to Barca in the second half of the 2021-2022 season. Under the direction of his former teammate Xavi, the Brazilian defender made 16 appearances, scoring one goal and providing three assists. Not being renewed by Barca in the summer of 2022, he joined UNAM Pumas on a contract until the summer of 2023. He had 4 assists in 12 games for the Mexican club last season.
Alves is currently the most successful player in history with 47 trophies at all levels, including three at Bahia, five at Sevilla, 26 at Barca, two at Juventus, six at PSG and one at Sao Paulo. In the international arena, he and Brazil won two Confederation Cups and two Copa Americas. In addition, Alves also won a gold medal with the Brazilian Olympic Games Tokyo 2021.
