Barcelona’s right-back Dani Alves said that he was happier before he gained popularity and fame with Barcelona. The player has been at the Catalan club since 2008 after impressing at Sevilla.
He has won several trophies and accolades with Barcelona which has put him in the spotlight because of the fame he garnered as a consequence of his success. But Alves says the public opinion of players being happy because of their celebrity lifestyle is wrong and fame doesn’t guarantee happiness
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian he said “People think the life I lead, being well-paid, is the reason I’m like this. No. I was happier when I lived in the countryside with my dad than I often am now. Why? Because I didn’t know how prostituted the world is.”
Social media has been the norm for quite some time now and Alves believes it's one of the causes for people becoming self-conscious saying, ”Now, everyone’s on their phone, no one talks to anyone, they’re all looking down [at social media], seeing what others are saying about them.”
The Brazilian believes people are bound to be disappointed the more they know about what’s happening in the world.“[But] the more you know the world today, the more it disappoints. I don’t understand why everyone fights for power, money, fame. Has no one stopped to think that fame is shit? That the more money you have, the more problems?”
Barcelona-Arsenal tie is not over: Alves
Barcelona beat Arsenal at the Emirates last month in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi. They are set to play the second leg at the Camp Nou on Wednesday with most critics writing off the Gunners’ chances.
When Dani Alves was asked about this he said, “No, no because football teaches you a lot; it knocks you back if you think it’s done.”
He acknowledged the fact that they had the advantage over Arsenal but insisted they had to maintain the same level of performance, “[The tie] looks good, but we have to keep this level. We knew it would be hard but that we’d have chances and we managed the game: when to control, when to attack, when to counter.”
Alves has won the treble twice with Barcelona in his career and will be hoping his side can achieve it once again this season starting with the game against Arsenal.
