BREAKING: Barcelona legend Dani Alves sentenced to 4.5 years in jail for sexual assault

Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub in February 2022, Catalonia's top court decided on Thursday, February 22.

The former Blaugrana star was first arrested in January 2023 after being accused of committing the aforementioned offence in the bathroom of a nightclub.

Alves remained in preventive pre-trial prison in Spain after a judge turned down multiple bail applications, deeming the former defender a flight risk. The case was heard over three days at a court in Barcelona this month and saw Alves changing his story for the fifth time.

Although he initially claimed not to know the victim, the Brazilian later changed his stance after being provided with biological evidence. Alves then said that the women consensually performed oral sex on him.

After the discovery of further evidence, the 40-year-old admitted to having had sex with the woman but claimed it to be consensual. When asked if he sexually assaulted the women, Alves said during the trial:

"I am not that type of man. We were both enjoying ourselves." (via ESPN)

However, the victim's version of the story remains that the ex-footballer didn't let her leave the bathroom, slapped her and then raped her. Finding Alves guilty, the court has now sentenced Alves to four and a half years of prison time.

The right-back was most known for his spell at Barcelona, which saw him make 408 appearances for the club across competitions. He won six La Liga and three UEFA Champions League titles, among other honors at Camp Nou.