Footballer Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison following his conviction for raping a woman at a nightclub in Spain.

The former Barcelona star received the verdict this morning at the Barcelona court where he stood trial earlier this month. 

Alves, aged 40 and a father of two, was taken to court in a police van and will spend his first night behind bars as a convicted sex offender. He had been held on remand at Brians 2 Prison near the Catalan capital since his arrest in January last year.

Alves maintained his innocence on February 7 during the final day of his three-day trial at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial court. Although he admitted to engaging in sexual activity with his 23-year-old accuser in a toilet at an upscale Barcelona nightclub on December 30, 2022, he insisted it was consensual.

The victim, whose testimony was delivered from behind a screen, affirmed that Alves had forced himself on her. A friend who was present on the night of the incident broke down in tears while recounting how the victim was “crying uncontrollably” after leaving the restroom where the assault occurred.

State prosecutors sought a nine-year prison term for Alves if convicted, while a private prosecutor acting for the victim demanded a 12-year jail sentence during the trial.

The court stated that there was evidence apart from the victim’s testimony that supported her claim of rape.

Following the public allegations against Alves, his ex-wife Joana Sanz confirmed their split shortly afterward, with the separation occurring in March 2023.