The Barcelona Court will decide whether Dani Alves will be released from prison next week or not.
Once a renowned defender globally, and a legend of both FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team, Dani Alves now finds himself deeply embroiled in legal trouble after being arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman in a private bathroom at a nightclub in Barcelona at the end of December 2022.
In February 2024, the former Barca star was officially sentenced to four and a half years in prison, ordered to pay €150,000 in compensation to the victim, subjected to five years of legal supervision upon release, and prohibited from contacting the victim for nine years and six months.
However, on March 8, Alves’ lawyer, Inés Guardiola, filed an appeal against the Barcelona Court’s verdict, simultaneously requesting a hearing to address the issue of granting freedom to the convicted individual until a definitive ruling is reached.
The 41-year-old player has been in prison for a year, serving a quarter of the sentence. Under Spanish law, the 40-year-old defender may be allowed to leave prison to work or “engage in activities” during the day before returning at night.
Carlos Quílez, a Spanish journalist, stated that while awaiting the rulings of the Barcelona Court and the Spanish Supreme Court, there is a 50% chance that Dani Alves will be granted temporary release. “It’s not impossible, as the verdict indicates that the court does not fully trust some of the victim’s statements during the investigation,” he said.
During today’s hearing, the Barcelona Court will review Dani Alves’ case, awaiting a response from the higher court regarding the appeal, to decide whether to continue his imprisonment or not.
Furthermore, the player may not have to serve the prison sentence if his defense attorney, Ines Guardiola, declares disagreement with the court’s verdict, asserting her continued belief in her client’s innocence and intention to continue appealing.