‘Dani Alves to be held in custody without bail’ says Spanish Court

• A judge orders Dani Alves to be held without bail.
• Earlier this month, he said he had “never seen” the woman before.
• He was in Barcelona after representing his country at World Cup for men.

After being detained in Barcelona on suspicion of sexual assaulting a woman, a Spanish court on Friday ordered Brazilian defender Dani Alves to be kept without bail.

The decision was made by a judge in Barcelona after the 39-year-old footballer was questioned about “events that allegedly took place in a nightclub,” according to a statement from the court. According to a source familiar with the case, the judge acted as requested by public prosecutors since the court believed there was a chance Alves might attempt to flee.

Alves, one of the best players in football, was detained earlier on Friday after being called to a police station in Barcelona, and he was later brought before the judge.

According to Catalan police, a lady accused Alves of sexual assault on her on January 2. In Spain, a sexual assault charge can refer to anything from unwanted and uninvited groping to rape.

Alves is charged with rape, according to a person familiar with the inquiry, even though police declined to comment further on the matter.

The insider also said that the woman made the same complaint in front of the judge on Friday. According to Spanish media accounts, the alleged sexual assault happened over the course of the night of December 30 and 31 at a well-known Barcelona nightclub.

According to reports, she alerted the club’s security personnel, who then activated the assault and sexual harassment prevention policy of the Barcelona City Council.

As a consequence of a complaint made by a woman against a football player, a court in Barcelona said earlier this month that it had begun an investigation into “an alleged crime of sexual assault.”

Alves has acknowledged that he was present at the moment but has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this month, he told the private Spanish television station Antena 3 that he had “never seen” the woman before.

“I was there, at that place, with more people having fun. Everybody knows I love to dance. Having a good time but without invading the space of others,” the former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain player added.

His wife, Spanish model Joana Sanz, told Antena 3 in an interview on January 9 that her husband had gone “out to dinner with friends, to disconnect a bit” on December 30.

“He went out to dance and try to enjoy music as he likes, period. Nothing wrong happened…I know how respectful he is,” she added.

Alves, who currently represents Pumas UNAM of Mexico, was on vacation in Barcelona after representing Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar.

At the World Cup for men, he was the oldest player to represent Brazil.

Alves made 408 appearances for Barcelona during the course of his incredibly successful career, 391 of which came during his first stint from 2008 to 2016. He won six La Liga championships, three Champions League medals, and four Copa del Rey trophies during his first season.

Alves left Juventus in July 2017 and joined PSG on a free transfer. He stayed with the Qatari-owned French giants for two years.

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