By Victor Kanayo
Former Brazil international Dani Alves, is expected to leave jail after he paid his bail of one million euros.
This was disclosed by a court in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday in a statement.
Part of the statement said, “We hereby inform you that the deposit of Daniel Alves’ bail has been registered in the accounts of the 21st section of the Barcelona Court.”
One of the world’s most decorated footballers, Dani Alves, 40, was last month sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
In a surprise move, a Barcelona court agreed last Wednesday to his request for provisional release while his appeal is heard on condition that he posted bail of a million euros ($1.08 million), hand over his Spanish and Brazilian passports, remain in the country and present himself to court “on a weekly basis”.
It took him until Monday to present the funds, meaning he remained in jail while his entourage tried to raise the money.
Alves victim, who testified behind a screen to protect her identity, claimed that Alves had violently forced her to have sex in a private bathroom of the nightclub despite begging him to let her go.
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The player has served about a quarter of his sentence for rape to this point – a fact highlighted by Alves’ lawyer when his conditional release was requested earlier this month.
The conditions for his release include handing over both his Brazilian and Spanish passports so he is unable to leave Spain. He must also appear before the court on a weekly basis.
Alves played more than 400 times for Barcelona, winning six league titles and three Champions Leagues across two spells with the club. He was also part of Brazil’s 2022 World Cup squad.
He won trophies playing for Sevilla, Juventus and PSG, and is among Brazil’s most capped internationals, with 126 appearances.
