Dani Alves’ first night time spent in pretrial jail for an alleged sexual assault incident in Spain has left his spouse distraught and despatched shockwaves all through the soccer world.
If convicted, it might doubtlessly obliterate the already fragile fame of one of many recreation’s most beloved figures.
The Brazilian star, who denies any wrongdoing, has many extra days forward of him on the jail close to Barcelona. Unless he wins an attraction to reverse the decide’s resolution to disclaim him bail, he’ll stay in for weeks, even months, behind bars till a trial is about.
The 39-year-old Alves was arrested on Friday by Spanish police after they spent days finishing up a preliminary investigation into the accusation from a lady claiming he sexually assaulted her in a Barcelona nightclub final month.
A decide agreed with state prosecutors after listening to the testimonies of Alves, his accuser and a witness that he ought to stay jailed, with out the correct to bail.
Barcelona coach Xavi, who performed with Alves for seven trophy-laden seasons at Camp Nou, stated he was surprised and saddened.
When Xavi returned to Barcelona because the coach halfway by way of final season, he gave his approval to the membership bringing again Alves for a second stint to supply his struggling aspect with some management.
“It is tough to touch upon his state of affairs,” Xavi admitted on Saturday when requested at an everyday news convention for Barcelona’s subsequent match.
“I’m shocked and surprised. I’m in shock. The justice system will determine what it should, we are able to’t get into that. I really feel very dangerous for him as a result of I do know him.”
Under Spain’s sexual consent legislation handed final 12 months, sexual assault takes in a wide selection of intercourse crimes from on-line abuse and groping to rape, every with totally different attainable punishments. The worst case of rape together with violence can obtain a most sentence of 15 years.
Neither the police nor the court docket would disclose any particulars of Alves’ case, and the Spanish press has included differing accounts of the alleged occasions, starting from Alves supposedly groping the girl to him allegedly raping her in a membership rest room.
Before his arrest, Alves denied any wrongdoing. He acknowledged he had gone dancing on the high-end membership however stated he didn’t know the girl and insisted that he all the time “respects the non-public house” of others.
Alves is married to Spanish mannequin Joana Sanz. She publicly defended him earlier than his arrest. With her husband in pre-trial jail, she expressed the ache produced by the incident that is come shortly after her mom died. She additionally requested for the media to respect her privateness.
“My mother passed away a week ago. I have barely started to cope, so I can’t have you (the media) tormenting me with the situation of my husband,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’ve misplaced the one two pillars of my life.”
Alves is synonymous with profitable and an instance of how an athlete can keep at an elite stage regardless of pushing 40 years previous. A rocket-fast proper again in his youth with a vicious lengthy strike, he morphed as he slowed with the years right into a passer who might excel within the midfield.
He has gained 42 titles, together with three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. He performed his third World Cup, the one main title to elude him, final month.
Alves has additionally been certainly one of soccer’s most charismatic figures. He beloved to ham it up for any tv digicam and joke with teammates. His aptitude for the flip of phrase, alongside together with his crystal-green eyes, devilish grin and weak point for colourful vogue off the sphere made the diminutive Alves stand out even within the character-filled sport.
A consummate showman, he deployed his wit to devastating impact when he was the sufferer of a racist act whereas taking part in for Barcelona at Villarreal in 2014. When a spectator hurled a banana at his ft on the sideline, he nonchalantly scooped it up, peeled it and took a chunk earlier than continuing to take a nook kick. His transfer went viral and have become a rallying level in opposition to racism in soccer.
Now his picture as certainly one of soccer’s wisest minds is liable to being shattered.
Mexican membership Pumas took solely hours to terminate the contract Alves signed in July, on listening to of his arrest in Spain. Pumas president Leopoldo Silva stated his membership couldn’t be linked to a participant whose acts might injury its mission to carry up its athletes as “function fashions in Mexico and all through the world.”
