Dani Alves has claimed that he offered Barcelona the chance to re-sign him after his successful stint at Juventus - but the club 'didn't have the balls' to admit they were wrong to let him leave.
Alves was allowed to exit the Nou Camp as a free agent back in 2016, and was promptly snapped up by Juventus, where he went on to win Serie A, the Coppa Italia and reach the Champions League final in his one season in Turin.
Upon leaving Juve at the end of the season, the talented Brazilian admits he gave Barcelona the option to put their mistake behind them, but was not offered a deal by the club's hierarchy.
'I offered myself to Barca to come back. I went to Juve to prove I was still at a good level,' the veteran defender told RAC 1.
'I wanted to return to Barca and they needed me, but they didn't have the balls to admit that they were wrong with me. If they had treated me as I thought I deserved, today I would still continue playing for Barca. I love this club.'
Instead, Alves went to France where he joined PSG, going on to lift six trophies in his two seasons with the Ligue 1 giants.
He is now back in his native Brazil playing for his boyhood club Sao Paulo, and he is still captain of the Brazilian national team at the age of 37.
Alves is not the first former - or current - Barcelona player to slam the club's board, and he thinks it will take years for them to get back to where they were.
'The style of Barca is changing. The club has lost its identity a bit and now has to go through a tough process to recover it,' he added.
'I think that Barca only wants to be a commercial and business club...buy and sell players. When you do that, you lose your identity. I think that is the problem for Barcelona.'
D10S_LM10
618
Dani we miss you.. He was one of the best in his position for Barcelona and we are yet to find a replacement for him. But as usual Barcelona board and there arrogance.. 43 ASSIST to Messi when he played, deadly duo.
Biriubiriu
301
I am not a fan of Barca but this guy is one of the most dangerous player I have seen.
ishti
254
Only someone out of their mind would allow a player of quality of Alaves to walk free when he has so much to offer. Barca's recruitment has been in shambles in the past few years and it's evident with their performance on the field.
FaithEvans
183
Dani Alves must have watched Nelson Semedo dancing shamelessly with Alphonso Davies and tear his hair out... if u would miss the ball, don't miss the man, that moment was where I knew Nelson's Barça career is over!