Sao Paulo says Alves to leave club due to delayed payments

SAO PAULO (AP) — Dani Alves will no longer be playing for Sao Paulo due to delayed salary payments owed to the veteran Brazil right back, his boyhood club said Friday.

The 38-year-old defender, who has multiple honors from his time at Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, did not show up for training after spending the last two weeks with Brazil's national team for World Cup qualifiers.

Alves, who still hopes to play at the 2022 World Cup, secured the 43rd winners’ medal of his career after gold with the Seleção at the Tokyo Olympics.

Carlos Belmonte, director of football at Sao Paulo, said in a video posted by the club on social media that Alves and defender Miranda were expected to return, but that only the latter appeared. Local media reports estimate the club owes Alves about $2 million.

“We were informed by agents that Daniel Alves will not return to Sao Paulo until the financial debts Sao Paulo has with the athlete are solved. Sao Paulo recognizes the debts and last week made an offer seeking to adjust that, but the agents did not accept,” Belmonte said.

“We made the decision and told coach Hernán Crespo that Daniel Alves will no longer be available to play for Sao Paulo.”

Alves has not commented on the club’s announcement.

He joined Sao Paulo in 2019 and won a state championship this year. Alves made 76 appearances for the club and scored eight goals.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports