In Spain, a court has convicted former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves of raping a woman at a Barcelona nightclub. He has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Alves, a 40-year-old widely acclaimed as one of the most decorated footballers in history, had denied the sexual assault allegations stemming from an incident in the early hours of December 31, 2022. Despite his lawyer's plea for acquittal and intention to appeal the verdict, the court found him guilty.

The victim's lawyer welcomed the verdict, asserting that it validates the truth conveyed by the victim and acknowledges the suffering she endured. In addition to the prison term, Alves has been ordered to serve five years of probation.

Although the prosecution had sought a nine-year prison sentence, the court's decision was influenced by Alves's payment of €150,000 (£128,500) in damages to the victim regardless of the trial's outcome, as reported by Spanish media. However, the court rejected the defense's argument that Alves should receive a lighter sentence due to intoxication, asserting that alcohol did not excuse his behavior.

Alves's wife, Joana Sanz, attested to his inebriated state upon returning home the night of the incident, but the court determined that his alcohol consumption did not diminish his accountability.

Prosecutors contended that Alves and a friend had provided champagne to three young women before Alves led one of them, without her knowledge, to a VIP area of the nightclub where the assault occurred. Despite Alves's claim that the woman could have left if she wished, the court ruled that she did not consent to sexual activity, affirming the prosecution's narrative of events.

Spanish law was changed recently to enshrine the importance of consent under the so-called "Only Yes is Yes" principle.

In a statement, the court said there was evidence other than the victim's testimony that proved that she had been raped.

It said Alves had "abruptly grabbed the complainant" and thrown her to the ground. He had then raped her while preventing her from moving as "the complainant said no and wanted to leave", it added.

The woman said the rape had caused her "anguish and terror", and one of her friends who were with her on the night described how the 23-year-old had cried "uncontrollably" after leaving the bathroom.

Alves has been held in pre-trial detention since January 2023 and has changed his testimony on several occasions.

He first denied knowing his accuser only to claim later that he had met her in the toilet but that nothing had happened between them.

He then changed his version of events again, saying that they had had consensual sex. "We were both enjoying ourselves," he alleged.

Alves played more than 400 times for Barcelona, winning six league titles and three Champions Leagues across two spells with the club. He was also part of Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad.

He has won trophies playing for Sevilla, Juventus, and PSG and is among Brazil's most capped internationals, with 126 appearances.

Sorry for him.