game against MŠK Žilina, he set up a goal for Ari in a 3–0 win. In the second game, he scored and set up a goal for Ibson in a 2–1 win in the final game of the Group Stage, resulting in the club going to the Europa League. At the end of the season, Alex had made 27 games and scored 5 goals. The following season, Alex made a few appearance until his move back to Brazil. He played his first match in the Europa League where he made a double assist in a 3–2 win over Basel in the first leg. The club advanced to the next round after a 1–1 draw in the second leg. Against Ajax, he scored twice in each leg and the club won both games against Ajax before losing to Porto in both leg 10–3 on aggregate. In the semi-final of the Russian Cup, he made his last appearance in a 5–4 loss against CSKA Moscow. In April 2011, he announced his intention to leave Spartak Moscow. This was later explained as his wife was seven months pregnant and feared a miscarriage. However, his son was born prematurely and he needed to support his wife. Alex was also struggling with the freezing weather as another reason he wanted to leave despite being content on the pitch. After leaving the club, he made his final interview and apologised to Spartak's fans. Corinthians On 13 May 2011, Spartak agreed the transfer of Alex to Corinthians for 6 million and signed until 2014. Four days later, on 17 May, he was presented by the club in São Paulo. One month since joining Corinthians on 30 June 2011, he made his debut in a 1–0 win over Bahia. 38 days later, he scored his first goal in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Paranaense. After scoring his first goal, he scored three more in three games. During a match against Santos on 18 September in a 3–1 loss, Alex collapsed on the field and was immediately taken to Hospital São Luiz. Despite serious concerns, he was released after no injuries were found by a CT scan. At the end of the season, the club won their first league title in six years and also won the Copa Libertadores Finals. In the final, Alex played in attacking midfield in both legs. For Corinthians, Alex played 56 games and scored