When can Dani Alves play for Barcelona? Why Brazil legend's second debut is delayed
Barcelona confirmed the shock return of Dani Alves in November as the Liga giants look to add experience to their ranks as the Xavi era gets underway in earnest at Camp Nou.
The Brazil international is loved in Catalunya, having starred for Barca in a trophy-laden spell between 2008 and 2016, but he won't be able to get stuck in to the challenge of resurrecting the team until 2022.
So why is that and when exactly will Dani Alves be able to play for Barca again? GOAL brings you everything you need to know.
Why has Dani Alves' Barcelona debut been delayed?
Dani Alves' second Barcelona debut has been delayed because he was signed outside of the transfer window and he cannot be properly registered to play for the club until the next window opens.
Barca were able to complete the signing of the Brazilian because he was a free agent, but the rules mean that he is prohibited from playing officially until the player transfer and registration window opens again.
Until then, Alves is allowed to train with his team-mates and feature in unofficial, non-competitive games in order to ensure he is fit and ready to play.
Look how happy Dani Alves is to be back at Barcelona 🥺 pic.twitter.com/Yq3lwKrsh0
— GOAL (@goal) November 18, 2021
When can Dani Alves play for Barcelona?
Dani Alves will be available to play for Barcelona from January 3, 2022, when the winter transfer window opens in Spain.
That means he should be available to play in the Supercopa de Espana against Real Madrid on January 12, 2022, while his first game could be an away Liga clash with Granada on January 9. However, he will not be able to play in the January 2 encounter with Mallorca.
As it stands, Alves will be forced to watch nine competitive games from the stands, including Champions League fixtures against Benfica and Bayern Munich, as well as the clash with his former club Sevilla, which is scheduled for December 21, 2021.
Which Barcelona games will Dani Alves miss?
You can see the full list of Barcelona games that Dani Alves is unable to play in below.
Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
Nov 20, 2021 | Barcelona vs Espanyol | La Liga |
Nov 23, 2021 | Barcelona vs Benfica | Champions League |
Nov 27, 2021 | Villarreal vs Barcelona | La Liga |
Dec 4, 2021 | Barcelona vs Real Betis | La Liga |
Dec 8, 2021 | Bayern Munich vs Barcelona | Champions League |
Dec 12, 2021 | Osasuna vs Barcelona | La Liga |
Dec 19, 2021 | Barcelona vs Elche | La Liga |
Dec 21, 2021 | Sevilla vs Barcelona | La Liga |
Jan 2, 2022 | Mallorca vs Barcelona | La Liga |
What number will Dani Alves wear for Barcelona?
Barcelona handed Dani Alves the No. 8 jersey on his return to Camp Nou, a number previously worn by his former team-mate Andres Iniesta.
Alves wore the No. 6 jersey when he was last at Barcelona, but that number is currently worn by Riqui Puig.
It is the fifth different number Alves has worn for Barcelona, having also played with the numbers two, 20 and 22 on his back.
🚨 Dani Alves will wear the No.8 shirt in his second spell with Barcelona 🚨
— GOAL (@goal) November 16, 2021
It will be the FIFTH number he's worn as a Barcelona player #️⃣ pic.twitter.com/jcb20b4JRR
What is Dani Alves' Barcelona salary?
Dani Alves is on a relatively modest contract at Barcelona, according to Sport, with the marauding wing-back reported to be on a salary of €900,000 (£756k/$1m) for the duration of his short-term deal with the club, which runs until June 2022.
That works out at approximately €28,000 (£24k/$31k) a week, which is a fraction of the average wage in the Premier League, for example. Of course, it is still not an insubstantial remuneration.
Interestingly, Barcelona are also reported by ESportRAC1 to have slapped a €100 million release clause into Alves' deal, which may be a tongue-in-cheek figure given that no club is likely to fork out such a fee for a 38-year-old veteran.