Dani Alves Claims That He Has Created A New Style Of Play This Season

Dani Alves believes that his football style has evolved as he has transitioned from a full-back into a "creative midfielder from the back."

The 36-year-old Brazil captain left Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and completed a move to Brazilian side Sao Paulo.

And the ex-Barcelona star showed an early sign of his attacking intent in the summer when he scored the winner against Ceara on his debut for Sao Paulo.

Speaking to the Guardian, Alves said that when he is involved in the attack he helps his "teammates to become better."

He continued: "It's been like that my whole career -- at Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and PSG.

"Those clubs have a history of having done that for a while.

"Here, the coach changes all the time and you're always trying to adapt to the coach you have.

"In my position in the middle I'm better for my teammates.

"I'll be sincere, I created a new way of playing as a full-back. No false modesty.

"I am always adapting to my teammates. If they're wide, I'll go into the middle. If they're attacking, I'll help with the control.

"If the ball's on the other side, I tuck in. I play as a creative midfielder from the back."

Alves has credited his new creative midfielder role to his time at the Camp Nou, saying Xavi and Ivan Rakitic helped him learn how to control the tempo of a match.

"Barcelona gave me this understanding," he admitted.

"When I played with Xavi or Rakitic, there was always a player controlling the game. If I was wide, Xavi or Rakitic were behind me.

"Seeing them play, I thought: 'When you have a winger who stays wide, you need to stay in the area of control.'

"At Sao Paulo, my challenge is to be able to understand my teammates and to combine with them as well as possible."

The Brazil international, who spent eight years at the Camp Nou, became the first player in history to win 40 trophies after his country's Copa America triumph in the summer.

Featured Image Credit: PA/Between The Posts

Topics: Xavi, Dani Alves, Football News, Football, Barcelona, Ivan Rakitic, La Liga, Camp Nou

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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