Dani Alves: Ex Brazil And Barcelona Star Freed on Bail For $1.08 Million

• Dani Alves was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison by a Spanish court
• The Barcelona legend is expected to serve the sentence at the Brians 2 Prison
• But now he is to be released from jail pending an appeal against his assault conviction

A Barcelona court announced on Wednesday that Dani Alves, the former Brazilian footballer, will be released from jail pending an appeal against his rape conviction.

This decision follows a request from his lawyer, who argued that the 40-year-old had already served a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.

Alves will be released upon posting bail of one million euros ($1.08 million).

The court's ruling granted him "provisional release" upon the payment of a 1,000,000 euro bail, with additional conditions including surrendering his Spanish and Brazilian passports, staying in Spain, and appearing in court on a weekly basis.

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Despite opposition from public prosecutors, who claimed he posed a high risk of fleeing, the court approved his request.

One of the world's most decorated footballers who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Alves was sentenced on February 22 after being convicted of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

His lawyers swiftly appealed the conviction. per Forbes.

The victim, who testified behind a screen to protect her identity, said Alves had violently forced her to have sex in a private bathroom of the nightclub despite begging him to release her, causing her "anguish and terror", prosecutors said.

Alves' lawyers had argued the victim had been "glued" to the player while dancing at the nightclub, saying there was "sexual tension" between them.

But in its 61-page decision, the court said that did not mean "that she consented to anything that might have subsequently happened".

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Dani Alves statue vandalised

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Dani Alves’ legacy hitting a new low after a statue in his hometown was reportedly vandalised, just days after his sentencing.

The 40-year-old’s story is that of an individual who was once idolised by millions around the world, becoming more popular for his misdeeds than his achievements on the pitch.

This was evident in his hometown of Juazeiro in Bahia, Brazil, where vandals made their feelings towards the former Barca player clear.