Former Barcelona and Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Spain night club and was sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in prison.
Alves, who has been imprisoned since January 2023, was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub on Dec. 31, 2022. Court documents detailed that Alves maintained that he did not know the victim. After a biological test, Alves later changed his story and acknowledged that he met her in the bathroom of the nightclub but said the sex was consensual.
According to Spanish media, after the nearly five-year prison term, Alves will also have to serve a five-year probation upon his release and a nine-and-a-half year restraining order. He was also ordered to pay $162,700 to the victim.
Dani Alves 20 year soccer career
Dani Alves joined Barcelona in 2008 after six years with Sevilla and earning two UEFA Cups and Copa del Rey title. In his eight years with Barcelona, Alves helped the club clinch five La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, and three Supercopa de Espana titles.
Alves joined Juventus in 2016 on a free transfer and despite only being there for one season, helped the club win the 2016-17 Serie A title and Coppa Italia.
Alves then moved to various clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil’s São Paulo, and Liga MX’s UNAM, before his contract was terminated after being detained in Spain on the charge of sexual assault.
Alves was also included on Brazil’s squad for three FIFA World Cups and clinched the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in 2020.