"The game I have to play is in court" - Dani Alves breaks silence after being released from prison following rape case

Dani Alves was convicted of rape last month. However, he has been temporarily released from prison after paying a bail of €1 million. At the same time, he has appealed the judge's verdict, but a final decision is not expected to be made before 2025.

Now out of prison, he is staying in Barcelona and can't move to another place as his Brazilian and Spanish passports have been seized. He also has to appear in court every Friday.

A few days ago, Dani Alves spoke for the first time after his release from prison, giving an update on his legal case.

"It's what I have to do. Every Friday, I go to court and that's it. I don't have much else to do. The game I have to play is in court. Wherever I go I survive. I adapt to everything because for me it is not the place that makes the person, but the person that makes the place," he told El Periodico, via Marca.

The rape incident took place in Barcelona in December 2022 and Alves was sent to prison in January 2023.

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Dani Alves reportedly aims to return to football if appeal is successful

As per the Marca report, Dani Alves has appealed the judge's decision and seeks to reverse it and leave prison permanently. Still, any decision on his appeal is not expected to come soon.

If it is successful, though, the former Brazilian defender will look to make a return to football, but not in a player capacity. This is what El Pais reports (h/t Football Espana), but it is unclear under what capacity he will make his return and whether there will be any teams interested to pursue him after the rape case.

Alves, who has had his bank accounts frozen amid the rape case, spent 22 years as a professional player and won a total of 44 trophies at club and international level, with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Sevilla, and the national team of Brazil.