Dani Alves has lashed out of Rivaldo’s criticism of him for joining Mexican club Pumas as a free agent after hitting out at the manner of his exit from Barcelona.
Barca did not extend the short-term contract of Alves even though the veteran right-back was hoping to stay at the club for at least the first half of next season to keep his World Cup dream alive and has left him searching for a new club this summer.
Alves had accused Barca of "not caring" about those who made history for the club as he criticised the manner of his exit earlier this summer. It was the player’s second stint at the club following his exit in 2016 after a glittering, trophy-laden first spell at the Camp Nou.
Speaking to The Guardian earlier this summer, the Brazilian lamented over his exit at the end of the campaign: "The only thing I didn't like was how my departure was handled." He then went on to add: "This club has sinned in recent years. Barcelona doesn't care about the people who made history for the club. As a Barca fan, I would like Barcelona to do things differently."
The veteran full-back subsequently join Mexican club Pumas on a short-term deal for the remainder of 2022 to allow him to play regular football ahead of the World Cup in Qatar and allow him to be in the reckoning for a call-up to the final major tournament of his career.
Alves is set to earn $100k per game for each appearance he makes for the club. It is said that the club are hopeful that the Brazilian will play 10 matches in the Apertura 2022 for Pumas over the course of his deal.
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In an interview with TUDN, Rivaldo questioned the decision of Alves to move to Mexico: “I don't know if Dani has made the best decision, choosing to join Pumas. Yes, he could play in a country where the coach sees him more often, but I think the Brazilian boss has a lot of confidence in Dani Alves because of his experience.
"Dani is the player with the most titles and I think that if he goes to the World Cup he will play at a really high level. He is a bit older, but he has a lot of trust from the coach.”
In response, Alves posted a tweet which quote tweeted Rivaldo’s comments, accompanied by a crying laughing face emoji, stating: “To do what I do, you have to have done well... if not, all that remains is to talk.”
In his first two games since his arrival in Mexico, Alves has been present for 90 minutes of both matches and has already provided an assist. Both matches have ended 1-1, with Alves providing the assist for his side’s goal against Mazatlán FC on his debut.
