Dani Alves signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer from Juventus FC in 2017 and while his tenure at the club was positive overall, he’s made a couple of comments this year that won’t sit well with PSG supporters.
In April of this year, Alves criticized the club and his teammates in an interview on French radio and reported by AS. He complained that he wasn’t listened to enough and that’s why PSG lost to Manchester United in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
“I don’t want to big myself up, but I know how to win and I know how to lose,” Alves said. “When I say something, it should be followed. And not because I know more than the rest, no, but because I have already gone through it.”
Alves may have a point here but as we learned from Thomas Tuchel in a recent interview with beIN Sports, the German credits that loss to Manchester United on the players being too tense and trying too hard leading up to the game. They put too much pressure on themselves and it all came crashing down.
Whether you agree with Alves or not, his comments here are certainly up for debate. What he said recently though to GQ Magazine is a bit more alarming.
According to AS who reported on the GQ interview, Alves didn’t love living in the City of Light and he gave specific reasons why.
“It was quite an interesting culture shock,” Alves said. “If you visit Paris for a week on holiday, you will have the time of your life but if you spend a long time there, it gets quite tiring. It reminds me a little of São Paulo but in Paris, they can be quite racist—not with me but I know what was said to friends of mine.”
Alves wasn’t done there with that criticism. He continued to explain why he preferred living in Seville or Barcelona—two places he played in his career.
“The people there are similar to Brazilians, it’s more vibrant—they live their lives outside on the street not indoors and there’s more energy,” Alves said. “It’s livelier and I prefer people to be that way.”
Most people who have spent time in Paris might question Alves’ critiques, but it could be a window into why Neymar Jr. wants to return to Spain and Barcelona in particular. Neymar is a vibrant person, one could say, and if his experience is the same as his close friend, it’s obvious why the 27-year-old would push hard to return to a city that fits more with his lifestyle.
On the other hand, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, and several other Brazilians and South Americans appear to really enjoy living in Paris. You just can’t please everyone.
Want more PSG? Visit the PSG Talk Podcast Network page and subscribe to PSG Talking, The 1970, and 24th & Parc.
