Dani Alves, the celebrated former Brazil and Barcelona footballer, firmly denied allegations of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub during his testimony on the concluding day of his trial in Spain.
Alves, 40, faced accusations related to an incident on 31 December 2022, at the Sutton nightclub’s VIP section.
The trial, which began on Monday, saw the alleged victim provide over an hour of testimony from behind a screen, a step taken to protect her identity.
Alves, who is charged with “sexual assault with penetration”, claimed that the woman had the freedom to leave at any point.
“If she wanted to leave, she could have left. She was not obligated to be there,” he said.
He also denied claims of physical aggression, saying, “I am not a violent man.”
Prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Alves, in addition to a €150,000 (R3- million) compensation payment to the victim. The court is expected to deliver a verdict in the coming weeks.
The trial featured testimony from about 20 witnesses, including a friend of Alves who reported the footballer to be drinking heavily before the incident.
Initially, Alves denied any encounter with the victim but later admitted to consensual sex, putting his initial denial down to fear of losing his wife.
Throughout the trial, Alves was present in the courtroom, visibly restrained and closely monitored by law enforcement.
At the time of his arrest, Alves was playing for Pumas UNAM in Mexico, which terminated his contract following the allegations.
Pictured above: Dani Alves in court.
Image source: X
