Dani Alves has revealed how he rejected the opportunity to return to both Barcelona and Juventus this summer.
The experienced full-back became a free agent after the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, before he eventually joined Brazilian club Sao Paulo.
After an impressive and successful Copa America tournament with Brazil, Alves received many offers but he wanted a club that would give him the chance of playing in the 2022 World Cup.
“I had the possibility of returning to Juventus. I had another possibility, because I wanted to, that was to return to Barcelona,” Alves explained in The Players Tribune, as cited by Diario AS. “But…would that have made me a better person or better professional?
“What I wanted, and this was decisive for me, was stability to be able to compete for the 2022 World Cup. This is where the process of accepting the next challenge began.
“Most clubs have not proposed this because they do not believe in me, they believe I have an expiration date. But my expiration date is decided by me.
“None offered what I wanted, except the team of my dreams. Only Sao Paulo believed in me.”
