Former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves has been forced to remain in prison after failing to pay his €1m (£860,000) bail.
Alves, 40, was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022 following his three-day trial last month, and has been held in Barcelona’s Brians 2 prison since January 2023.
He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for rape, in addition to paying a fine Fined €150,000 (£128,000) and banned from approaching the victim for nine and a half years.
His lawyer, Ines Guardiola, lodged an appeal against the verdict, and last week a Barcelona court granted Alves bail once he pays the £860,000 fee.
The Barcelona newspaper Sport reported that Alves was forced to remain in prison over the weekend after the former Brazil international was unable to post bail.
Dani Alves was released on bail while awaiting his final sentence after being found guilty of rape
Alves, sentenced to four and a half years in prison, could not pay his bail last week
The former Barcelona star is reportedly waiting for funds after winning four tax cases.
Reports had initially claimed that Brazilian star Neymar’s father would help fund Alves’ bail, but he issued a statement denying the claims.
‘For us, for my family, this matter is over. Final point,’ the statement reads.
“With the ruling of the Spanish justice system for his conviction, there is speculation and attempts are being made to associate my name and that of my son with a matter that is no longer within our reach.”
Alves’ lawyer said the Brazilian has two bank accounts in Spain, one with no balance and another with 51,000 euros (£44,000), with a judicial seizure of 50,000 euros (£43,000).
Guardiola claimed last year that his client “is bankrupt” and has a “negative bank balance of £17,000”, despite reportedly once having a fortune of £47m.
Sport reported that Alves’ accounts in Brazil have also been blocked due to issues with his ex-wife Dinorah Santana.
However, Alves is expected to receive €9.2m (£7.9m) after his tax lawyer Fernando Mota won four cases against the Spanish tax agency.
At Alves’ bail hearing it was noted that the 40-year-old was set to receive “a large sum of money” from the treasury, but has not yet received the funds.
Neymar Santos, the father of Brazilian star Neymar Jr, denied reports that his family was going to post bail for Alves.
Alves’ ex-wife, Dinorah Santana, spoke out against the former Brazil international and declared that the decision to grant him bail was “taking away his peace”.
His ex-wife Santana is among those who have spoken out against Alves being granted bail.
‘There are times when you will have to share the table with Judas, without that taking away your peace. Well me today,” she wrote on Instagram.
Santana, the mother of his two children, initially said she supported him and insisted he would never commit the crime for which he was arrested.
The sports agent later claimed she felt “used” and told Spanish television: “For me, he doesn’t exist.” For me he is dead.’
Prosecutors in Alves’ case had asked that he receive a nine-year sentence and argued that he should not be allowed bail because of concerns that he might flee Spain to return to Brazil.
However, they only gave him half the prison sentence they wanted and he has now been released, pending the outcome of his appeal.
Alves has always maintained his innocence, insisting that his sexual encounter with the young woman in the nightclub’s bathroom was consensual.
However, he was fired by Mexican club UNAM Pumas following his arrest 14 months ago.
Alves has been forced to remain in Barcelona’s Brians 2 prison, where he has been held since January 2023.
Inés Guardiola, Alves’ lawyer, had acknowledged her financial difficulties in paying his bail
Dani Alves’ ex Joana Sanz (left) revealed she had filed for divorce last year after allegations against Alves came to light.
Alves was married to model Joana Sanz at the time, but she revealed she filed for divorce after explosive allegations against the former Barcelona superstar came to light.
Alves spent eight years at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, winning six LaLiga titles and the Champions League three times.
He was removed from the club’s official list of legends after being found guilty of rape.
However, the club made a 180-degree turn a few days later and included him on its list again, a decision that his ex-wife, Sanz, seemed to celebrate.
He wrote ‘To César what belongs to César’ on his Instagram story alongside a photo of Alves celebrating in the Barcelona shirt.
The following week, Alves’ brother criticized a prankster’s false claims that his former full-back had taken his own life in prison.
Alves also won league titles with Juventus and PSG, and earned 126 caps for Brazil.
He won the Copa América and the Confederations Cup twice each with the South American nation.