Brazilian defender Dani Alves asserted his innocence in an interview published on Wednesday, claiming he has a "clear conscience" while waiting to be tried for alleged rape in Spain.
The 40-year-old was taken into custody in Barcelona in January after being charged with raping a young woman in a nightclub in late December.
The court looking into him believed there was a chance the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-German player would attempt to flee, so he has been held in detention without bail.
He stated in his first interview since being detained, "I have a reasonably clear conscience on what transpired that night in the bathroom of the VIP area of the Sutton nightclub.
Did you read this?
"What occurred and what did not happen? Furthermore, none of the things we performed were forced upon this woman by me, he said.
Alves initially denied knowing the woman in a television appearance when the allegation first surfaced and before he was detained.
However, after being detained, he changed his tale and insisted that they had had consensual encounters when questioned by investigators.
He admitted to lying to La Vanguardia on Wednesday that he initially did so out of fear that his wife would leave him if he came clean about having an extramarital affair.
Without thinking about the price I am now paying, I battled valiantly to salvage my marriage from my infidelity.
Alves was on vacation in Barcelona at the time of the alleged rape after representing Brazil in the World Cup in Qatar.
Last Monday, a Spanish court denied his request for bail while he awaits trial, claiming that he posed a flight risk and that there was sufficient evidence against him to support the allegations.
The La Vanguardia interview with Alves, which dominated Wednesday's television chat shows, infuriated numerous women's organizations.
The representative of the Spanish government against gender violence, Victoria Rosell, tweeted that "trivializing gender violence, supporting the aggressor, and discrediting the victim, causes more harm to her and fuels rape culture."
Alves was fired by his Mexican team Pumas UNAM following his arrest.
Alves enjoyed a fruitful footballing career, winning 42 championships, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil.
