Dani Alves is granted release from jail on bail – priced at €1MILLION – while Barcelona and Brazil superstar, 40, appeals against his four-and-a-half year prison sentence for rape

Former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves will be released on €1 million (£850,000) bail after appealing his four-and-a-half year prison sentence for rape.

Alves, 40, was found guilty of raping a woman at a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022 following his three-day trial last month, and is being held at Brians 2 prison in Barcelona since January 2023.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of €150,000 (£128,000) and banned from going near the victim for nine and a half years.

His lawyer, Ines Guardiola, appealed the verdict and Alves has now been released on bail by a Barcelona court once he pays £850,000 costs, meaning he can leave prison pending his final sentence.

Alves requested his provisional release earlier this week, insisting he would not “run away” before his final sentence was handed down.

His wish has now been granted after his lawyers played down the idea he could pose a flight risk.

Prosecutors in Alves’ case had asked that he be sentenced to nine years in prison and argued that he should not be allowed bail amid concerns that he would flee Spain to return to Brazil.

However, he only received half of his desired prison sentence and has now been released from prison, pending the outcome of his appeal.

Alves has always maintained his innocence, insisting that his sexual relationship with the young woman in the nightclub toilet was consensual.

However, he was sacked by Mexican club UNAM Pumas following his arrest 14 months ago.

Alves was married to model Joana Sanz at the time, but revealed she filed for divorce after explosive accusations against the ex-Barcelona superstar came to light.

Alves spent eight years at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, winning six La Liga titles and the Champions League three times.

He was removed from the club’s official legend list after being convicted of rape.

However, the club turned around a few days later and put him back on their roster in a move that appears to have been celebrated by his ex-wife, Sanz.

She wrote “To Caesar what is Caesar’s” on her Instagram Story alongside a photo of Alves partying in a Barcelona jersey.

The following week, Alves’ brother blasted a prankster’s false claims that his former full-back had committed suicide in prison.

Albuquerque, who described himself on

He added in a second post eight hours later, after his first message to his 12,600 followers went viral on social media: “People, for God’s sake, what kind of repercussion is this?

“I was referring to my cousin Danielzinho, from the town of Nova Iguaçu, who had disappeared, but who was found alive.”

Alves’ brother Ney delivered a furious response on Instagram Live, saying: “How cruel human beings can be!

“He was already convicted on the word of a woman who walked into the men’s room to do what only he and she know how to do.

“He has already been convicted. Isn’t that enough?

“Now the crazy thing is people want him dead. They want to see my brother dead. How cruel!

“My father is over 70 and my mother over 60. Don’t people like that have family?

Alves also won league titles with Juventus and PSG, and won 126 international caps for Brazil.

He won the Copa America and Confederations Cup twice with the South American nation.