Former Barcelona star Dani Alves sentenced to four years and six months in jail after being found guilty of sexual assault

A court in Spain has found the former Brazil and Barcelona star guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub in December 2002. The 40-year-old has been handed a jail sentence of four years and six months and ordered to pay the victim €150,000 (£128,500/$162,990). Alves was arrested in January 2023 and has been detained ever since after requests for bail were turned down. Prosecutors had been seeking a nine-year jail term for the former footballer. Along with his jail sentence, Alves has also been sentenced to a further five years of ‘supervised’ freedom upon his release from prison, per The Athletic. The Brazilian is also forbidden from going within one kilometre of his victim and cannot communicate with the woman for nine years.

The Brazilian denied any wrongdoing at the trial which lasted for three days. Alves changed his testimony on several occasions after initially denying knowing his accuser. The 40-year-old then claimed nothing had happened, before changing his version of events again by saying they had consensual sex and alleging "We were both enjoying ourselves," as reported by ESPN.

Alves told the court "I am not that type of man" when asked if he had forced the victim to have sexual relations with him. The woman told prosecutors she willingly went into a VIP bathroon with Alves but he would not let her leave and then slapped her and raped her.

A statement read: "The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent, and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven."

David Saenz told reporters: "We are satisfied as the sentence recognises what we've been saying all along: that the victim was telling the truth and that she suffered."

The Brazilian's lawyer, Inés Guardiola, has confirmed Alves will appeal. She told reporters: "At this moment I can only tell you that we are going to appeal the sentence. I continue to believe in the innocence of Mr. Alves. I have to study the sentence but I can tell you that we are going to appeal."