Brazilian soccer star Daniel Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of rape. "The victim did not give her consent and there is evidence that rape was committed," the court in Barcelona ruled today.
The verdict was handed down this morning in the presence of Alves.
The crime was committed in a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30, 2022. Alves denied the allegation, but he changed his story several times, first claiming he never saw the victim and then claiming the sexual act was consensual.
Alves spent a little more than a year in custody until the case was closed, as the court judged that he was at risk of absconding.
The 40-year-old Brazilian is one of the most decorated players in football history. He is a six-time champion of Spain with Barcelona, and with the Catalans, he has also won the Champions League three times, the Spanish Cup four times, the country's Super Cup four times, the European Super Cup three times, and the Club World Cup three times. Alves became the Italian champion with Juventus and two-time French champion with PSG, and twice won the Copa America with Brazil.
Alves has a total of 43 trophies in his career, trailing only Lionel Messi in this indicator. /BGNES
