Dani Alves is surely the soccer player who has fallen from grace the most in recent years. The former Brazilian soccer superstar was once one of the best players in his position. He played for clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain and had only recently played for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.
But the former record holder of the most soccer titles has fallen from grace, as he is now a criminal. After being convicted of raping a woman, he has been found guilty and given a prison sentence. And Barcelona has decided to take action after it was announced.
Dani Alves gets his legend status revoked by Barcelona
Dani Alves has been given a prison sentence after a court found him guilty of rape. This has earned him backlash from many, and his former club, Barcelona, is also taking action. The Catalan club was where Alves truly became a world-class player, and he is often included among their best players ever.
However, after his rape conviction, they have removed him from their exclusive list of legends on their website which includes the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and others. They have not yet released any statements regarding the player since his imprisonment.
🚨| BREAKING: FC Barcelona have withdrawn Dani Alves from their official list of club legends after his conviction for rape. pic.twitter.com/QDsXWvomFs
— BeksFCB (@Joshua_Ubeku) February 27, 2024
Not just in Barcelona, but even in his hometown of Bahia, residents have vandalized one of his statues and are calling for it’s removal. Indeed, the once-soccer superstar has ruined both his career and life.
Dani Alves was arrested in January of last year after being charged with assaulting and raping a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub’s bathroom. After a whole year of the matter at court, Alves was finally sentenced to 4 and a half years of prison. He was also given a fine of €150,000, five years of parole time, and a nine and a half-year restraining order against the victim.
Dani Alves’ €1.2 million release plan
And yet, reports suggest Dani Alves is still trying to find a way out. The Brazilian’s lawyer has already stated that they will appeal the court decision and Alves keeps reiterating his innocence.
According to Spanish reports, the 40-year-old has won another case previously that was over some illegal payments to a FIFA agent. After winning the case, he is set to receive €1.2 million in compensation from the Spanish Treasury.
🇪🇸 | URGENT: Spanish Treasury ordered to return €1.2 million to Dani Alves, as he seeks to secure his freedom. The National Court's Contentious-Administrative Chamber ruled in favor, revealed by La Vanguardia, coinciding with Alves' conviction news for rape. #Spain #DaniAlves pic.twitter.com/DyYuTHV9BF
— ChroniBuzz (@liv59224) February 24, 2024
Alves now hopes that this huge amount of money can be used to grant him temporary bail. This temporary bail would be until the appeal of his case is reviewed and completed. The money could be used as a guarantee that he will not flee the country during the appeals case.
It is yet unknown whether Dani Alves will be eventually freed or not, but for now, his reputation is forever tarnished.
