Former Barcelona and Brazil football star Dani Alves has been handed a four-and-a-half-year jail sentence after being found guilty of rape.
Alves, 40, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub on New Year’s Eve in 2022. Following the accusation, he was arrested the following month and has been in custody since then, with multiple bail requests being denied.
In a trial held at Catalonia’s top court, Alves was found guilty and sentenced to prison. Despite denying any wrongdoing and claiming that the woman could have left if she wanted to, the court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to prove lack of consent. The incident was alleged to have occurred in the nightclub’s bathroom.
Initially, while in custody, Alves denied any sexual contact with the victim but later admitted to it, albeit claiming it was consensual. Along with the jail term, he has been ordered by the court to pay the victim €150,000 (£128,414).
Alves, renowned for his stellar career at Barcelona where he won numerous titles including six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies, was also a key figure for the Brazilian national team, earning 126 caps. However, he never won a World Cup with Brazil.
Before his arrest, Alves was playing for Mexican side Club Universidad Nacional on a one-year contract, which was terminated after he was charged by Catalonian police.
