10 of the most outspoken footballers

#9: Dani Alves

FC Barcelona v Villanovense - Copa Del Rey — Dani Alves pulls no verbal punches - even when it comes to his old club Barcelona

One of the world’s most highly rated full-backs, Brazilian Dani Alves is also one of the most surprisingly outspoken players in football today. Part of Pep Guardiola’s famous Barcelona team of the late 2010’s, Alves’s outspoken nature arguably made up for the fact that his illustrious teammates – the likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta – usually remained grounded with their success.

Some of his classic quotes? He’s hit out at everyone from Jose Mourinho (“people talk about him as if he invented football – he didn’t”) to Real Madrid (“they will always be there, giving up their ass”) and since moving from Barcelona to Paris St. Germain, he’s targeted French rivals Marseille, claiming “I couldn’t name you a single Marseille player” prior to a recent game between the two.

Surprisingly enough he also lashed out at former club Barca following his 2017 move to Juventus, suggesting they didn’t want him, that the directors of the club had “no idea how to treat their footballers” and that by leaving on a free transfer, he’d “punched them with class”. It was another amazing rant from the Brazilian international, who also stated that he didn’t enjoy fame and success in football only “brought you a fake life”.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Sripad