A Spanish court has convicted former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub, sentencing him to four and a half years in prison. The 40-year-old, known as one of the most decorated footballers in history, had denied the allegations. His lawyer plans to appeal the verdict. The court found evidence beyond the victim's testimony to support the conviction.
Alves was accused of luring the woman to a nightclub toilet in a VIP section, arguing that she could have left if she wanted to. However, the court ruled that she did not consent. Alves has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023 and changed his testimony several times during the trial, initially denying knowing the accuser and later claiming they had consensual sex.
Prosecutors stated that Alves and a friend had bought champagne for three women before he asked one to accompany him to a different area with a toilet she was unaware of. There, he allegedly became violent, ignoring her pleas to leave. Alves played over 400 games for Barcelona, winning numerous titles. He was also part of Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad.
