Sao Paulo (AFP)
Brazilian defender Dani Alves, the most successful player in football history, will leave Sao Paulo FC, the club announced on Friday after a wage dispute between the two sides.
"We take the decision, and we inform Hernan Crespo (team coach, Editor's note), to no longer make Daniel Alves available to the Sao Paulo team. Sao Paulo is more important than anyone. Sporting director Carlos Belmonte said in a video posted on Twitter by the club.
Aged 38, Dani Alves, passed by Paris SG and who had his best hours in the FC Barcelona jersey, was due to appear at the training of the paulista club on Friday, after taking part in the qualifications for the World-2022 with Brazil.
But his representatives have explained to club management that the full-back will not return to train until the club pay their debts to him, Belmonte said.
Sao Paulo owes him 11 million reais (nearly 1.8 million euros), according to the Brazilian press.
"Sao Paulo recognizes the debt and last week we made a proposal to try to reach an agreement, which its representatives did not accept. Negotiations will continue with the legal and financial department," Belmonte continued.
Relations between the seven-time Brazilian champion and Dani Alves strained when the Brazilian veteran decided to participate in the Tokyo Olympics with the Olympic selection (July 23 - August 8), where he won his 43rd title.
The joy of Brazilian defender Dani Alves, after winning gold at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, beating Spain, 2-1 in the final, on August 7, 2021 in Yokohama Tiziana FABI AFP / Archives
The double winner of the Champions League with Barça (2011 and 2015), who has not yet spoken about his departure, had signed up with Sao Paulo in 2019, for a contract expiring in 2022. He won there. the paulista championship in 2021, ending an eight-year untitled spell.
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