Ex-Barcelona player Dani Alves set to buy & play for Portuguese club in shock return to football at 42 - nine months after seeing rape conviction overturned

According to ESPN, Alves has “finalised details to acquire Portuguese third division club Sporting Clube de Sao Joao de Ver”. It is reported that the highly-decorated full-back - who once starred for the likes of Sevilla, Barca, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain - is poised to sign a six-month playing contract.

The veteran South American has not graced a competitive fixture since January 2023, with his deal at Mexican side Pumas UNAM terminated following his arrest on sexual assault charges.

Alves was jailed and held behind bars between January 20, 2023 and March 2024. He was released on bail after a €1 million bond was paid, as the result of an appeal was waited on. Catalunya's High Court of Justice unanimously upheld his appeal, with it determined that there was “insufficient evidence” to rule out Alves’ presumption of innocence.

The court said the original ruling “contains, throughout the reasoning, a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions regarding the facts, the legal assessment and their consequences. The complainant's account, which should have been subjected to greater scrutiny, has not been compared with the fingerprint and biological evidence, which support the defence's argument.”

All restrictions on Alves, including a travel ban and restraining order, were lifted. His lawyer, Ines Guardiola, said at the time: “Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken.”

Alves won six La Liga titles, three Champions League crowns and the FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona. Domestic titles were captured in Italy and France with Juve and PSG, while a couple of UEFA Cup wins were savoured with Sevilla. Alves also became an Olympic gold medal winner at the age of 38 in 2021.

Following his release from prison, Alves has - according to ESPN - been working “behind the scenes in football, especially in Europe, as an agent, but always with the idea of returning to the pitch and eventually getting his coaching certificate”.

He has been working on an individual fitness programme and “believes he only needs 30 days to regain match fitness and be available for his new team”. A new challenge is ready to be embraced in Portugal.

ESPN reports that he “has the support of a group of Brazilian investors to finalise the purchase of Sporting Clube de Sao Joao de Ver, a club based in the Aveiro region”. The club currently have three other Brazilian players in their squad, including former Palmeiras winger Washington.

If a deal in Aveiro is completed, then Alves will follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Vinicius Junior by acquiring a Portuguese football club. The Real Madrid superstar is an investor in the consortium that purchased Alverca earlier in the year.

They were a second tier team at the time of that deal being processed, but secured promotion at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. They now occupy a respectable mid-table standing in Liga Portugal and sit ahead of established outfits such as Rio Ave and Santa Clara. Alves will be hoping to enjoy a similar level of success with his new venture.