Former Brazil and Barcelona footballer Dani Alves will spend over four years in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in 2022.
According to the victim, Alves raped her in a bathroom in Barcelona on New Year's Eve in 2022. according to prosecutors, she entered the bathroom willingly with Alves, but when she later changed her mind, he refused to let her do so, slapped her, insulted her, and then forced himself on her.
Alves, arrested in January 2023, was denied bail and termed a flight risk due to his home country's no-extradition rule. He has been ordered to pay 150,000 euros (£128,000) to the victim by the court.
Alves denied any wrongdoing during the trial, telling the court: "I am not that kind of man." he had earlier denied having sex with the victim. But later accepted and claimed it was consensual.
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State prosecutors sought a nine-year prison sentence for Alves, while the victim's attorneys requested a twelve-year sentence.
His defense had requested his acquittal or, if found guilty, a one-year term and an order to compensate the victims by 50,000 euros (£42,765).
The state prosecutor's office said it would review the verdict and decide whether to appeal the court's decision.
