Catalonia's High Court of Justice has overturned the guilty verdict against former Barcelona player Dani Alves in a sexual assault case for which he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
In late March 2024, Alves was released from a Spanish prison after spending 14 months there. While his appeal was reviewed, he was released on bail of one million euros. Alves was initially found guilty of sexual assault in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022. He faced a sentence of 4.5 years, although prosecutors sought nine years.
The court unanimously supported Alves's appeal, determining that the testimony from the victim was insufficient to establish his guilt and emphasized the principle of presumption of innocence.
Dani Alves is one of the most decorated footballers in history, having won 43 trophies. His achievements include six La Liga titles, two French league titles, one Italian championship, three Champions League trophies, two UEFA Cups, and three UEFA Super Cups. Besides, he won the FIFA Confederations Cup twice (2009, 2013), the Copa America twice (2007, 2019), and an Olympic gold medal in 2021 with the Brazilian national team.
