Dani Alves faces nine years in prison over alleged sexual assault as public prosecutor recommends hefty sentence for ex-Barcelona and Brazil defender

Alves is due to stand trial in Spain over the alleged assault which took place in December 2022 in Barcelona. The Prosecutor's Office is seeking a prison term of nine years for the former Barcelona star, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. Alves also faces having to pay damages of €150,000 (£130,500/$163,000) and being handed a restraining order after the jail term. The former Barcelona star has been in prison since being arrested in January.

Alves initially denied he knew the woman involved in a television interview. He subsquently said that he did have consensual sex with his accuser but denied any wrong-doing.

"I have a really clear conscience regarding what happened that night in the bathroom of the VIP area of the Sutton nightclub," he told La Vanguardia in June. "What happened and what didn't happen. And what didn't happen is that I forced this woman to do anything that we did."

Alves is one of the most successful footballers in the world, winning 42 titles during his playing career. The defender starred for Barcelona, winning three Champions League crowns, and twice won the Copa America with Brazil. Alves had been in Barcelona on holiday after featuring for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup when the incident took place. He was subsequently sacked by club side Pumas following his arrest.

A trial date has not yet been set for the 40-year-old who remains in prison and has seen bail requests turned down. In Spain, the maximum sentence for a rape case is 15 years.