Ex-Brazil Star Dani Alves Sentenced To 4.5 Years In Jail

Barcelona: A Spanish court on Thursday sentenced former Brazil international Dani Alves to four and a half years in prison.

The court found him guilty of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

It also ordered the three-time Champions League winner to five years probation after he serves his jail term, and demanded he pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation to the victim.

"The victim did not consent and there is evidence that, beyond the complainant's testimony, permits the rape to be considered proven," the Barcelona court wrote in a statement.

Prosecutors had called for a nine-year jail sentence for the 40-year-old followed by 10 years of probation.

Alves can appeal.

One of the world's most decorated footballers who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during a storied career, Alves went on trial earlier this month on charges of raping a woman at the Sutton nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022.

Alves is widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, winning 42 trophies during a highly successful career.

The peak of his career was with Barcelona between 2008 and 2016 when he won 23 trophies. At the time of his arrest, he was contracted to Mexican club Pumas UNAM. He was sacked soon after being detained.

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