A Spanish appeals court overturned the rape conviction of former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves on Friday, citing ‘shortcomings’ and ‘inaccuracies’ in his trial.
Alves had been sentenced in February of last year to four and a half years in prison for allegedly raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub on 31 December 2022.
The 41-year-old, a three-time Champions League winner with FC Barcelona, was released from jail last March after posting the €1 million bail set by the court while awaiting the outcome of his appeal. ALSO READ: Dani Alves released after paying €1m bail, awaiting appeal of rape conviction.
The appeals court stated that its panel of four judges had ‘unanimously’ upheld the player’s appeal, leading to the ‘annulment’ of his conviction.
The court also dismissed an appeal from public prosecutors, who had been pushing for a longer sentence of nine years.
According to the ruling, the trial was marred by ‘a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and contradictions regarding the facts, the legal assessment, and its consequences’.
During the proceedings, the victim – who testified behind a screen to protect her identity – stated that Alves had violently forced her into sex, ignoring her pleas for him to stop and leaving her in ‘anguish and terror’, as described by prosecutors present for her testimony.
Alves initially denied knowing the woman but later changed his statement, claiming their encounter had been consensual.
His legal team argued that, on the night in question, the woman had been ‘glued’ to him while dancing at the nightclub.
A key player in a dominant Barcelona squad that won six La Liga titles, Alves also earned 126 caps for Brazil and helped secure two Copa America victories.
Beyond his success with Barcelona, he claimed domestic league titles with Italy’s Juventus and France’s Paris Saint-Germain.
At the time of his arrest, Alves was under contract with Mexican club Pumas UNAM, which terminated his deal shortly afterward.
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