Renowned Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been released from custody after providing a €1 million bond (roughly $1.08 million) to a Barcelona court, meeting the requirement for his provisional release following a sexual assault conviction, as confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice of Catalonia in a statement on Monday.
Alves fulfilled the court’s conditions by transferring the specified amount into the account of Section 21 of the Provincial Court of Barcelona in Spain. The 40-year-old athlete was later seen leaving the Brians 2 penitentiary center alongside his lawyer Inés Guardiola.
The Barcelona provincial court had previously sentenced Alves to four-and-a-half years in prison for an incident of sexual assault that occurred in one of the city’s nightclubs in late December 2022. Alves and his legal team have since announced their intention to appeal both the conviction and the sentence. Notably, both the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office and the plaintiff have also expressed plans to appeal Alves’ provisional release.
Following his release, Alves faces certain restrictions, including the confiscation of his Brazilian and Spanish passports. He is prohibited from leaving Spanish territory and is required to make weekly appearances at the provincial court.
As part of the conditions for his release, Alves is subject to a restraining order that mandates he remain at least one kilometer away from the plaintiff’s residence, workplace, or any other locations she frequents. Additionally, he is forbidden from communicating with her through any means.
Despite the legal proceedings, Alves remains one of the most accomplished footballers of his era, having secured numerous domestic titles in Spain, Italy, and France. His illustrious career includes three UEFA Champions League triumphs with Barcelona in 2009, 2011, and 2015, as well as winning the Copa América with Brazil in 2007 and 2019.
