Barcelona were false and ungrateful over my exit ― Dani Alves

The shady atmosphere that surrounded Dani Alves’ departure from Barcelona left the defender upset, leading to him hitting out at the way the club’s staff and hierarchy treat their players.

Joining Juventus on a free transfer last summer, Alves took the decision to insert a release clause in his contract after years of unanswered questions surrounding his future at the Camp Nou.

“I like to be loved, and if they do not want me, I’m leaving,” the defender told ABC. “Leaving Barcelona on a free was a big lesson.

“During my last three seasons I always heard that ‘Alves was leaving’, but the managers never said anything to me. They were very false and ungrateful. They did not respect me.

“I was only offered to renew when the FIFA transfer ban came in. That was when I went and signed a deal with a termination clause.

“Those who run Barcelona today have no idea how to treat their players.”

One big theme of Alves’ stay in LaLiga was the rivalry he encountered with Cristiano Ronaldo, an issue that the Brazilian feels was blown out of proportion.

“All my fights with Cristiano were because of the press,” he stated.

“If people only knew how much I respect Cristiano Ronaldo. I will repeat it to make myself clear: I respect Cristiano Ronaldo.”

“Everyone who talks to me about Cristiano tell me that he’s a great pro, but he is different, he was my rival and I had to compete with him.

“When I spoke about him being too selfish, when you win you are going to be the star but when you lose they will go for you, so I said it in a very respectful way.”

“And I think the same of [Lionel] Messi or Neymar. But my thoughts were not negative. What happens is that the press portrayed them differently, saying that I had spoken ill of him.”

“And Ronaldo believed it. That’s why he did not greet me at the Ballon d’Or gala in 2015. I do not need to talk about anyone to go out in the newspapers. I have no ego.”