Diego Alves Carreira (born 24 June 1985), known as Diego Alves, is a Brazilian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

. Having begun his career at

Atlético Mineiro Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to: Sports Teams Athletico *Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy *Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...

, he spent most of it in Spain in the service of

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city g ...

and

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

, making 269

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men' ...

appearances both teams combined during exactly one decade. A renowned

penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...

saver, he blocked a record 23 spot-kicks in Spain's top flight. Later in his career, he won several honours with

Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...

, including the Copa Libertadores in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

. Alves was part of the Brazilian squad which won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, and made his senior international debut in 2011. He represented the latter at the

Copa América Centenario The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...

. He has also risen to popularity more recently for having conceded more goals (21) to Lionel Messi than any other keeper.

Club career

Atlético Mineiro / Almería

Alves was born in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

. Having started professionally at Clube Atlético Mineiro, he moved to

UD Almería Unión Deportiva Almería, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional football club based in Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 26 July 1989 and known as ''Almería Club de Fútbol'' until 2001, when it was renamed ''Unión D ...

on 24 July 2007, as the

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

ns had just achieved a first ever promotion to

. Initially the backup to another newly signed, David Cobeño, he eventually became the undisputed starter, helping the club overachieve for a final eighth place in the league with notable performances against, among others, Real Madrid. After Cobeño left for

Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas. Rayo was founded on 29 May 1924, and currently compete in La Li ...

in August 2008, Alves remained first-choice during 2008–09, but suffered an injury in the final stretch of the season. Fully recovered for the start of the following campaign, he played in all the matches (safe for 30 minutes against

Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol (, ca-valencia, València Club de Futbol ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF (or simply Valencia) is a professional football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top flight of the Spa ...

, after he had been

sent off In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...

, and the last round against

Sevilla FC Sevilla Fútbol Club () is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It plays in Spanish football's top flight, La Liga. Sevilla have won the UEFA E ...

as Almería were already saved from relegation); in April 2010, his agent stated a move away from the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos was being considered. On 20 November 2010, Alves was in goal as Almería lost 8–0 at home to

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...

, a defeat which cost manager Juan Manuel Lillo his post. In mid-May 2011, after his team's top-flight relegation, Valencia chairman Manuel Llorente confirmed the signing of the player.

Valencia

Alves made his official debut for Valencia on 13 September 2011, in a 0–0 away draw against

K.R.C. Genk Koninklijke Racing Club Genk (), commonly known as KRC Genk, Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and have won four cham ...

in the group stage of the

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...

. He backed-up

Vicente Guaita Vicente Guaita Panadero (; born 10 January 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Crystal Palace. He appeared in 176 La Liga matches over eight seasons with Valencia and Getafe, as well as a season on l ...

in the league, however, until Guaita picked up a serious hand injury. Alves also appeared in the second Champions League group stage match, at home to

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

, where he had a series of superb saves, including a string of three in two minutes – two-point-blank against

Ramires Ramires Santos do Nascimento (; born 24 March 1987), known as Ramires, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. A midfielder, he was comfortable playing in either the centre or right midfielder position. He normally played as a box-to-b ...

and

Fernando Torres Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Atlético Madrid Juvenil A. Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, ...

, and a third when Valencia man Víctor Ruiz accidentally diverted the ensuing corner towards his own goal – in an eventual 1–1 draw. In July 2014, Alves signed a new five-year deal to run until 2019. In the last game of the season, that also marked his 100th league appearance for the club, away against former side Almería, he tore his

cruciate ligament Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and the atlanto-axial joint. In a fashion similar to the cords in a toy Jacob's la ...

in the 72nd minute, later undergoing surgery and being sidelined until November.

Flamengo

On 17 July 2017, ten years after leaving for Europe, Alves joined Clube de Regatas do Flamengo until 2020. On 23 November 2017, in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana against

Atlético Junior Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. S.A. (), commonly known as Junior de Barranquilla, by its old name Atlético Junior, or simply as Junior, is a Colombian professional football team based in Barranquilla, that currently plays in the Categoría ...

at the Maracanã Stadium, he suffered a broken collar bone after being hit by Yony González; he underwent surgery two days later, being expected to return in two months. With this injury Alves was an important absentee in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana Finals. Alves played 62 games for Flamengo in 2019, as they won the Campeonato Carioca, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and the Copa Libertadores. In the national championship, he made the Bola da Prata for the team of the tournament. In 2020, Alves played less than half the games. He was infected with

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

at the start of the year, and also suffered a 20-game shoulder injury against

Santos FC Santos Futebol Clube (), commonly known simply as Santos or Santos FC and nicknamed the ''Peixe'' (; "fish"), is a Brazilian sports club based in Vila Belmiro, a '' bairro'' in the city of Santos. It is also the team with the most goals i ...

. The youngster Hugo Souza emerged in his absence.

International career

Alves was chosen to represent

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

at the 2008 Summer Olympics in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, as backup to Renan. He did not receive any playing time during the competition, as the national team went on to win a bronze medal. Alves made his debut for the full side on 10 November 2011, in a 2–0 friendly win with

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

. He also played four days later, against

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

(same score). Alves was selected by coach

Dunga Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri (born 31 October 1963), known as Dunga (), is a Brazilian football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Under his captaincy, Brazil won the 1994 FIFA World Cup and he lifte ...

for the

2015 Copa América The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...

in Chile, but withdrew due to a knee injury to be replaced by Neto. On 5 May 2016, he was named to a 23-man squad for the

Expert penalty stopper

Alves made his 15th penalty save against

on 25 January 2015, which took his record to 42.85% of all attempts faced. Widely regarded as a specialist in the matter, he once stated that a penalty is "a psychological battle between the goalkeeper and the taker". On 9 May 2015, after denying Real Madrid's

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...

, Alves became the goalkeeper with the most penalty saves in the history of the Spanish top flight with 16 out of 37, equalling

Andoni Zubizarreta Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta (, ; born 23 October 1961) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. The all-time most capped player for the Spain national team for several years, he played with individual and team su ...

who saved 16 from 102. He surpassed the latter on 25 September 2016 during a 2–1 away win over CD Leganés, following it up with two saves the next weekend – including a spectacular block from an

Antoine Griezmann Antoine Griezmann (; born 21 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the France national team. A versatile player, Griezmann is known for his attacking, passing, and supporti ...

shot – albeit in a 0–2 home loss to Atlético Madrid; upon his departure from Valencia in 2017, he had saved 23 spot kicks.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Atlético Mineiro * Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2006 * Campeonato Mineiro: 2007 Flamengo * Copa Libertadores:

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

* Recopa Sudamericana:

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A:

Copa do Brasil The Copa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de P ...

Supercopa do Brasil The Supercopa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Super Cup) is a Brazilian association football trophy organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). It is contested between the champions of the Campeonato Brasileiro and the winners of the Copa d ...

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

* Campeonato Carioca:

Brazil * Summer Olympic Games: Bronze medal

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Individual * Bola de Prata:

References

External links

Valencia official profile
*
CiberChe biography and stats
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alves, Diego 1985 births Living people Footballers from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian footballers Association football goalkeepers Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players Clube Atlético Mineiro players CR Flamengo footballers La Liga players UD Almería players Valencia CF players Brazil youth international footballers Brazil under-20 international footballers Brazil international footballers Copa América Centenario players Olympic footballers of Brazil Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in football Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for Brazil Brazilian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Spain Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain