Former Barcelona, Brazil star Dani Alves found guilty of rape, sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail

Former Barcelona and Brazil star Dani Alves has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail after being found guilty of rape.

The 40-year-old had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on New Year's Eve in 2022.

Alves was subsequently arrested the following month and has since been detained, a consequence of multiple bail requests being denied.

In the trial that was held at Catalonia's top court, Alves has been found guilty and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

While Alves denied any wrongdoing, claiming in court that the woman in question could have left "if she wanted to", the court ruled that there was enough evidence to prove that she did not consent, it being alleged that the incident took place in the bathroom of the aforementioned nightclub.

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While in custody, Alves initially denied having any sexual contact with the victim, before later saying that he did but with consent.

Alves, who has the right to appeal the decision, has also been ordered by the court to pay the victim a total of €150,000 (£128,414).

During his career, Alves established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of Barcelona and Brazil, most notably at the former as he won six La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns among an array of silverware.

Meanwhile, the right-back earned 126 caps for his country, putting him third on the all-time list, but he failed to win a World Cup with his nation.

Prior to his arrest, Alves had been on a one-year contract with Mexican side Club Universidad Nacional before they terminated his deal once he was charged by Catalonian police.