Barcelona withdraw Dani Alves' status as legend of club following court conviction - Reports

Barcelona have reportedly withdrawn Dani Alves' status as a legend of the club after his sentence for sexual assault was finalized last week.

As per SPORT, the La Liga giants have taken the decision after the final judgement of the court. Last week, a court in Spain found Dani Alves guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

The court announced a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the Brazilian defender. In addition to that, as per BBC, the former Barcelona star will also be paying an amount of €150,000 (£128,500) in damages to the victim.

Following the announcement, Barcelona removed Alves' status as a club legend. The Brazilian Legend was a part of the legend list which features the names of 102 different players who represented Bluagrana, including the likes of Joan Gamper and Lionel Messi. Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, who left the La Liga giants last season, are the latest inductees on the list.

During his two spells, Alves has made a total of 408 appearances for Barcelona, where he has bagged 22 goals and 105 assists. The 40-year-old has also won three UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cup titles, and six La Liga titles with Bluagrana.

Barcelona considering signing 25-year-old star in summer transfer window: Reports

Barcelona are looking forward to signing Almeria goalkeeper Luis Maximiano as a replacement for Inaki Pena in the upcoming summer transfer window, as per Mundo Deportivo.

Earlier this year, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was sidelined due to back issues. During his absence, Inaki Pena was given the opportunity between the sticks. However, the 24-year-old conceded 32 goals in 17 appearances for Bluagrana across all competitions.

As a result, the La Liga giants are keen to sign a reliable performer. Luis Maximiano is currently on a loan from Seria A side Lazio to Almeria. This season, he has made 23 appearances for the side, where he has conceded 45 goals, keeping four clean sheets.

According to the aforementioned report, Bluagrana are also considering the likes of Diego Kochen and Ander Astralaga as potential replacements for Inaki Pena in the summer transfer window.