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Right-back: Dani Alves (Brazil)
The 36-year old fullback has become more of a utility man for PSG these days, having been deployed in various positions in the backline. But he remains a formidable prospect in the right-back role, which he made his own at his peak.
Get this: despite all the tweaks in his game, he racked up seven assists for Les Parisiens in only 23 appearances, and will now shoulder captaincy responsibilities for the Canaries.
Centre-back: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
Atletico Madrid established a reputation of being one of the meanest outfits in Europe under Diego Simeone, and skipper Diego Godin had an instrumental role to play in that.
He was the mortar to Atletico’s brick; a reckoning force that even blew the most prolific strikers out of the park. Never one to shy away from a tackle, the Uruguayan carved a niche in 10 years with the Rojiblancos and will depart as a club legend.
He commands a similar status in the national set up too, and will once again captain his team in the quest to replicate the success of 2011.
Centre-back: Marquinhos (Brazil)
PSG’s spectacular implosion towards the tail end of the campaign left a bitter taste among the fans, but Marquinhos was a real highlight throughout the course of the 10 months. Averaging 2.2 interceptions per game and also maintaining an admirable 91.9 percent passing accuracy, the 24-year old truly came of age.
His attacking capabilities were on show when he netted thrice and assisted twice, as a red card on matchday 36 was the only blot on his season.
Left-back: Alex Sandro (Brazil)
Manager Tite has a tough decision to make between Felipe Luis and Alex Sandro in the left-back position, but the Juventus star might get the nod ahead of the Atletico Madrid fullback. Despite a season that was a few notches below his best, Sandro averaged 2.6 tackles per game and had an 85% pass success rate.
Without him in 10 outings, Juventus lost thrice and drew twice, highlighting his importance to the side. Sandro’s attacking abilities can add an additional layer to Brazil’s already stellar attack.
