Alex's stalled move to Chelsea came after he ignored club advice, it has been revealed.
The Daily Mail says Alex ignored Chelsea's advice to walk through customs as a visitor and instead filled in an immigration card, which should have been supported by a working visa.
Without the appropriate stamp in his passport, the defender was stopped by customs chiefs and told that he must enter the country as a visitor.
Instead, the former PSV Eindhoven defender boarded the plane back to Brazil and has left the matter in the hands of Chelsea bosses.
Although they are confident the appeal will be successful, they are baffled by the defender's decision to ignore their advice and return to Brazil.