Catalan police tricked Dani Alves into returning to Barcelona and testifying: Reports

Barcelona icon Dani Alves was recently detained in relation to a sexual assault that allegedly occurred on December 30, 2020. As per reports, the Catalan police tricked Alves and his lawyer to secure his voluntary return to the country for testimony.

According to Marca (via IB Times), they reportedly withheld the severity of the situation and the strength of the evidence and witnesses' testimonies. This was said to have made Dani Alves feel more comfortable about the process and induced him to turn himself in willingly.

On Friday, 19 January, Alves was brought before a court in Barcelona and ordered to be held in jail without bail. The police had compiled enough evidence to convince the judge to detain the footballer until a final verdict has been reached. Notably, they began collecting evidence and taking witness statements on the night of December 30, when the assault allegedly happened.

The victim's statements and those of the witnesses reportedly had no discrepancies and were clear and consistent. The incident was reported at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, where Alves and a Mexican friend reportedly invited the 23-year-old victim and her companions to a VIP table.

According to the victim, Alves was overly physical with her and the others before drawing her towards the restroom, where he is said to have forced himself upon her. Meanwhile, Alves' version of events that night was reportedly more inconsistent.

Alves initially acknowledged that he had been at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, but denied any knowledge of the woman. He later acknowledged that he had encountered her, but insisted that nothing had happened between them. Afterward, he alleged that she had assaulted him, but subsequently altered his statement to say that they had engaged in consensual activity.

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PUMAS UNAM have sacked Barcelona icon Dani Alves following his detention

After the police and the court found sufficient evidence to detain the footballer, his club Pumas UNAM immediately severed ties with him.

Club president Lepoldo Silva stated: (as per AS)

"With the information that occurred today about the legal process that the player Dani Alves is facing, and for which he is detained in Spain, we have determined to communicate the following: The Club Universidad Nacional has made the decision to terminate the employment contract with Dani Alves from this day on."

The head coach continued:

"We cannot allow the conduct of a person to harm the work philosophy that has been an example throughout history in the training and development of young athletes in our country.”

The Brazilian had joined Pumas UNAM in July 2022 from Barcelona and made 13 appearances across competitions, giving five assists.