Football Icon Dani Alves Found Guilty of Sexual Assault in Barcelona Nightclub

Former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves has been found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub by a court in Spain. He has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison and five years’ probation. Alves (40) denied the charges and his lawyer plans to appeal.

The court considered Alves’s payment of €150,000 in damages to the victim but rejected the argument that his alcohol consumption should lead to a more lenient sentence. The court stated there was evidence aside from the victim’s testimony proving the rape occurred citing Alves grabbing and forcefully raping the complainant.

Alves a highly decorated footballer has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023.