Soccer legend Dani Alves guilty of rape, gets 4 1/2-year prison sentence

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Former Barcelona defender Dani Alves was found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison, a three-judge panel ruled Thursday in Spain.

"The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent, and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven," the Provincial Court of Barcelona said in a news release.

Alves also was ordered to pay nearly $163,000 to the victim of the crime, which occurred on the night of Dec. 30, 2022, in a nightclub bathroom in Barcelona. His sentence includes a five-year probation upon release and a 9 1/2-year restraining order.

Alves was arrested in January 2023 and has been held in prison since that date. He maintains that the nightclub incident was consensual. His lawyer, Ines Guardiola, told reporters that he plans to appeal Thursday's ruling.

The court said it was proven that Alves grabbed and threw the woman to the ground while committing the crime. They also said the woman said "no" and that she wanted to leave the nightclub.

Alves, 40, made his senior career debut in 2001 at Brazilian club Bahia. He played at Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo. Alves joined UNAM of Liga MX in 2022. The Mexican team terminated his contract immediately after his arrest.

The Bahia native also made 126 appearances for Brazil's national team. He was teammates with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez, Xavi and other soccer icons throughout his career.

He appeared in three World Cups and totaled the third-most appearances overall for Brazil's national team, trailing only Cafu and Neymar.