Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in prison for nightclub rape

Dani Alves was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub and sentenced to four and a half years in prison. The former Barcelona and Brazil footballer, 40 - one of the most decorated footballers in history - had denied sexually assaulting the woman in the early hours of 31 December 2022.

Alves can appeal against the sentence.

Dani Alves admits he lied to the court regarding his rape charge

He had been accused of luring the woman to a toilet in a VIP section of the nightclub and had argued that she could have left "if she wanted to". However, the court found that she did not consent.

In a statement, the court said there was evidence other than the victim's testimony that proved that she had been raped.