Dani Alves slams 'disrespectful' Barcelona board
Former Barcelona full-back Dani Alves has strongly criticised the Liga champion for treating him disrespectfully before his move to Juventus last year.
The Brazil international won a remarkable 23 titles across eight seasons at Camp Nou but left on a free transfer to join the Serie A giant.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC, Alves accused Barcelona's board of failing to discuss the prospect of a new contract with him until the club were hit by a player registration ban in 2014 for breaking FIFA rules related to signing young players.
"I like being loved and if they do not want me, I'm leaving," the 33-year-old said.
"During my last three seasons I always heard that Alves was leaving but the management never said anything to me.
"They were very false and ungrateful. They did not respect me. They only offered me a renewal because of the FIFA transfer ban.
"That's when I played their game and signed a renewal, which included a clause that allowed me to leave for free a year later.
"The people who run Barcelona have no idea how to treat their players."
Barcelona's board, led by president Josep Maria Bartomeu, has come in for increasing criticism with regards to its transfer policy.
A specialist right-back was not recruited in the wake of Alves' departure despite a significant outlay on new recruits elsewhere.
The sense that the likes of Portugal international Andre Gomes are not up to the club's standards was thrown into a harsher light by last week's 4-0 UEFA Champions League thrashing at Paris Saint-Germain.
During Monday's (AEDT) lacklustre 2-1 win over Leganes at Camp Nou, head coach Luis Enrique and his team were booed by sections of the home support.
Alves thinks the relentless media glare faced by Barcelona and bitter rivals Real Madrid, along with the nature of the coverage given to each of the Spanish giants, is a contributing factor to such hostility.
"I just do not like them inventing things, manipulating and creating bad moods – I am referring to the sports press in Madrid and Barcelona," he said.
"They do bar journalism, social media journalism. They are only interested in morbidity and that's not telling the truth.
"They have to respect us. Behind the footballer, there is a human being."
