Dani Alves’ ex-wife Joana Sanz reveals letter disgraced former Barcelona man sent from prison before four-and-a-half year sentence for sexual assault

The 40-year-old was jailed for four and a half years after being found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022. Before the former Barcelona player was sentenced, the ex-right-back wrote his former wife an intimate letter from his cell as he awaited trial, reports Vogue. Joana Sanz initially shared the love note on her Instagram page in September but promptly deleted it, saying it was a mistake and was only meant for her close friends.

The letter read, per the report: "What I dreamed of and what I continue to dream of. I want to take all the paths with you. I didn't have the wrong woman, yes, it was you. There is not a single day, not a single moment, not a single plan in which you are not there. I pray every day for the day to come that I can see you wake up. Nostalgia is not about not being able to do it now. Wherever, whatever, whatever, but with you always by my side. I feel strange feelings. I love you."

Alves denied sexually assaulting the woman in the early hours of December 31, 2022, but his appeals were dismissed. After a glittering career playing for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Sevilla, and Brazil, the right-back's legacy has been damaged beyond repair. In Spain, a rape claim is investigated under the accusation of sexual assault and convictions can lead to four to 15 years in prison.

Alves' lawyer had asked for his acquittal and said she would appeal against the verdict, with the prosecution pushing for a nine-year jail term. According to Spanish media, the former footballer also has to pay the victim £128,500 ($162,800) in damages, which is thought to have reduced his punishment.