Barcelona star Dani Alves pretends to be his girlfriend in video playing down Champions League elimination

Barcelona star Dani Alves has posted a controversial video on Instagram in which he looks unaffected by their Champions League elimination at the hands of Atletico Madrid. The Brazilian international, wearing a woman's wig and pretending to be his girlfriend Joana Sanz, said that the 2-0 defeat to Diego Simeone's side on Wednesday night (13 April), that saw his side wave goodbye to their treble hopes, is "just a football game" and not the end of the world.

Alves has been a controversial figure at the Nou Camp almost since his arrival at the club in 2008, attracting as many haters as lovers among Barca fans for his out-of-place comments. Yet, the most recent one, only a day after their disappointing elimination in a game where his performance was questioned, sparked particularly fierce criticism across Spanish media and social networks.

"I don't know how to live otherwise, sorry"#goodcrazy #goodvibealways✌ #vidaquesegue with you life makes more sense @joanasanz," the Barcelona star wrote on Instagram. Speaking in a woman's voice, he said: "Hi, I'm Joana Sanz. I'm here to give much encouragement to my love, who is very sad, but honey, it's just a football game, nothing happens, life goes on. You are worth much more than this. I love you very much, I love you my love."

Alves has been under scrutiny since last summer when he called a press conference to announce that he had "one foot, half a body and almost a head" out of Barcelona, as the club looked reluctant to hand him a new deal. He eventually signed a new contract just days later, keeping him at the club until 2017, amid suggestions he was using the threat of an exit to secure a pay rise.

Earlier this season, meanwhile, Barcelona themselves were forced to issue a statement distancing themselves from the right-back's comments after he launched a brutal attack on the Spanish media, claiming: "Really, every day that passed makes me more ashamed of being part of this sport, of how they use it, how they play with us. I thought that one day each one of us were going there to play for our colours, our clubs, I thought that if we won or lost we would go to our homes to reflect on what we did badly or to enjoy how well we did."

"Nowadays we are objects used by the press for their own benefit, for them to sell papers. Every time they are talking less about football, tactics, dribbling, goals, saves and performances. What f****** rubbish they are."