- Prosecutors are pushing for a nine-year prison term if Alves is found guilty
- It was confirmed the ex-Brazil defender will face trial on sexual assault charge
- Inside Postecoglou’s Tottenham: IAKO looks at culture and philosophy changes
Former Barcelona and Brazil star Dani Alves could face nine years in prison if found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a nightclub.
Prosecutors are pushing for that sentence, plus £130,000 in damages and 10 years of probation, the EFE news agency said, after the case finally reached the trial stage in Spain.
Alves, 40, was arrested on January 20 and has been held in a prison outside Barcelona. The former Sevilla, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain defender denies any wrongdoing and claims it was consensual.
He was ordered to stand trial earlier this month having changed his testimony on four occasions.
Alves was denied bail by judges back in January after his arrest for the alleged sexual assault in the bathroom of the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on December 30.
He was playing for the Mexican club UNAM at the time and judges believed Alves was a flight risk. UNAM subsequently terminated his contract.
Alves said previously: ‘It will be proven that I am not guilty and it was a consensual relationship.
‘It would never cross my mind to impose a sexual act on anyone.’
His wife, the model Joana Sanz, appeared to confirm she had split from the footballer in a social media post dated March 15.
In a handwritten letter, she said ‘it will take years to erase from my memory his way of looking at me’ and ‘here is a strong woman moving on to the next stage of her life.’
Alves was held in custody at Brians 1, a prison in Catalunya at the centre of a number of controversies.
Parlament de Catalunya sobre Departamentos Especial de Régimen Cerrado (DERT) heard that prisoners had been locked up for up to 21 hours a day in 2017 testimonies.
One inmate died by suicide after nine months kept in isolation, reportedly tied up on multiple occasions.
Two prison officials were convicted for ill-treatment of an inmate in September 2017.
Alves was later moved to neighbouring Brians 2 ‘for his own protection’, according to Marca.
Manu Marlasca said on Onda Cero the move was common for high-profile inmates.
Brians 2, meanwhile, is where eccentric tech guru John McAfee was found dead in his prison cell in June 2021.
Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was also once held at the prison.
Brians 1 and 2 are known as the Catalan jails for ‘famous people.’
Alves won 42 titles – including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil.
He is widely considered as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, having been a full international for Brazil since 2006 and the nation’s second most-capped player of all time, making 126 appearances and scoring eight goals.
Alves became the oldest Brazilian to play in a FIFA World Cup by playing in his nation’s defeat against Cameroon in the final round of Group G games.
The right back famously played for Barcelona from 2008-2016 and briefly returned to the LaLiga team for the 2021-22 season.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
