FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.07.2008 19:42

The perfect player for the right

Roger Bogunyà

Daniel Alves is an example of aggression, intensity, and physical strength. He is also extremely skilful, especially going forwards, and is a great all-rounder for the right side of the field.

Born on May 6, 1983 (Juazeiro, Brazil), Alves is a very offensive right back or a right sided midfielder. The way he can control the wings made him a lynchpin of the Sevilla team that won two UEFA Cups, one Copa del Rey and one European Super Cup in the last three years.

Big break in 2003

Daniel Alves moved to the Andalusian club in 2002 (from Brazilian club Bahía), but it was in the 2003-04 season that he really came onto the scene. Alves soon became the club’s first choice right back, playing 29 games as they qualified for Europe.

Team and individual honours

Over the next two years, Alves was a key member of the Sevilla side that won back to back UEFA Cups and Spanish Super Cup. He was named the best player of the 2005/06 UEFA Cup and man of the match in the European Super Cup the same year, when they won 3-0 against FC Barcelona in Monaco.

Intense in defence, lethal in attack

Although he is 173 cm tall and weighs 64 kg, Alves is remarkably resilient, able to bite on any part of the pitch. He moves up and down the wings, but is also an excellent defender. But it is going forward that he makes the most impact, and has scored 11 goals in the Spanish league by doing just that, and with either his right or his left foot.