Dani Alves is set to be released from prison in Barcelona on bail while he appeals his sexual assault conviction.
The former Barca and Brazil full-back was sentenced to four and a half years in jail last month after being found guilty of attacking a woman in a nightclub in the Catalan city in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
Read our other football news stories here:
Ramsdale praises Arsenal fans
Courtois suffers new knee injury
Fiorentina’s Barone dies aged 57
He was also ordered to pay €150,000 (£128,500) to the victim.
Alves appealed the verdict with the Provincial Court of Barcelona today ruling he could be released on bail of €1million.
There are conditions attached however. Alves must visit the court on a weekly basis, hand in his passport and commit to not going within 1000 metres of the victim’s home, place of work or anywhere else she frequents on a regular basis.
One of the key reasons why bail was granted was the court felt the risk of Alves fleeing the country was reduced.
The judge said: “Mr Alves has expressed his firm intention to remain at the disposal of the court at all times as he has done since the beginning of the procedure.
“In this regard, we must remember that he came voluntarily to our country when he became aware that he was accused of the facts for which he was finally convicted.
“We do believe that a certain risk of escape persists, although in the current circumstances this can be counteracted with other measures.”
Alves is one of the most decorated footballers of his generation. He won 23 major titles with Barca between 2008 and 2016 before returning for a short spell in the 2021-22 season.
He also claimed silverware with Sevilla, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain as well as Brazil with whom he twice won the Copa America and the 2000 Olympics.
