The Revival of Dani Alves from Has-Been to Best Right-Back in Europe

Luis Enrique wasn’t the only one at Barcelona who looked as good as gone just a few months ago. With the Camp Nou club in turmoil on and off the pitch, the cost was already being counted in terms of who would be leaving Catalonia this summer. Dani Alves was one such figure.

Out of contract at the end of the season, the Brazilian—for so long the best right-back in European football—had allowed his standards to slip. Even with a transfer embargo in place against the club, Barcelona were willing to let Alves leave given the level of his performances over the past year or so.

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Things have turned around, however—both for player and club. Barcelona are now on the brink of a treble in their first season under Enrique with the league and Copa del Rey titles already secured and the Champions League final against Juventus coming on Saturday. Alves has played a crucial role in that upturn.

At 32 years old, Alves’ best years looked behind him just a few short months ago, but now he has reached his peak once again. Enrique was within one result of losing his job at the beginning of the year, but he is now set to put his name alongside Pep Guardiola’s as a treble winner in his first season as boss at the Camp Nou—and Alves must take partial credit for that recovery.

While Lionel Messi is of unparalleled importance to Barcelona, with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta also central to the way the Catalan club plays, Alves’ tactical worth is hugely significant. In a team with so much quality through the middle, the Brazilian is a priceless outlet on the wing, stretching the pitch and giving opposition sides yet another threat to counter.

Of course, Alves has his deficiencies. When teams go toe-to-toe with Barcelona, the Brazilian full-back so often is the weak point caught between attacking down the right wing and his defensive duties. Alves has always been better at creating goals than stopping them.

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And there are still signs of his gradual decline through age too. Although his presence as a threat down the right side gives Barcelona an additional edge (as if they need more of that, given their front line), Alves’ crossing has noticeably deteriorated over the past few years. It’s just as well Barca don’t have many forwards who can win a header, because they would stand little chance with the Brazilian sending the deliveries into the area. 

Nevertheless, Alves has restored himself as the finest right-back in the European game, and he could prove something of a match-winner against Juventus in Berlin this weekend. With the Italians likely to send their own full-backs flying up the flanks, Barca’s Brazilian will have the opportunity to exploit the space left in behind. Massimiliano Allegri must come up with a plan to stop him.

“Dani Alves is one of the most upbeat lads we have in the dressing room: positive, optimistic and with a winner’s character,” Enrique explained back in February when the full-back’s contract situation was at its most intense, as per Daniel Prescott of the Daily Mail. “Now that I know him better he is an example of what a professional should be. He is not the first player to be sad or angry when they leave the pitch.”

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The Barcelona boss highlights another benefit of having Alves in the team. By all accounts, the Brazilian is a bedrock of the Camp Nou dressing room. With the 32-year-old especially close to Neymar, he played a key role in bringing the forward to the Catalan club two years ago. But his true worth can be found in his performances on the field.

“He is the best full-back in the world. It is very difficult nowadays to find someone else like him,” gushed Messi ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final, as per Prescott of the Daily Mail. The Argentinian has a point, too, with European football suffering a real dearth in quality right-backs—and full-backs in general—at the moment. Even without a transfer embargo, Barcelona would struggle to find anyone as good as Alves.

Manchester United, the Premier League and Paris Saint-Germain were once genuine destinations for Alves, but with his form improving to such an extent it looks more and more like the Brazilian is using English interest as leverage for a better deal from Barcelona. All of a sudden he is in the position of power with regards to his contract negotiations. 

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Should Alves actually leave, which is looking less and less likely with every impressive performance, Barcelona would be left desperately short in the right-back position. Enrique has shown little faith in Martin Montoya, who himself could be on his way out of Camp Nou this summer, with Douglas still to prove himself at the top level. Barca need to keep Alves simply because they have nobody else.

In seven years at Barcelona, Alves has won five La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, the Club World Cup, three Copa del Reys and four Spanish Super Cups—on top of the two UEFA Cups, a Super Cup, a Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup he won while at Sevilla. In the pantheon of great right-backs the Brazilian ranks fairly high, and Alves can add to his tally to this weekend in Berlin.

Should Barcelona beat Juventus and complete a treble-winning season, the eulogies to Enrique and Messi will flow, and rightly so, given the form the Catalan club has found since the turn of the year. But Alves deserves a significant share of the credit, and he certainly deserves a new contract. Barca have enjoyed a grand renaissance over the past few months, and the Brazilian full-back embodies that rally better than anyone else.