Former Brazil and Barcelona defender Dani Alves set for rape trial in Spain

Dani Alves, the ex-Brazilian football legend aged 40, is set to face trial on Monday in Barcelona for the alleged rape of a woman at a prestigious nightclub. Prosecutors are pushing for a nine-year imprisonment term.

The highly publicized trial is set to commence at 09:00 GMT in a Spanish court located in the country's second largest city. The defendant, a former player for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, has been in custody since his arrest in January 2023.

A young woman has accused Alves of sexually assaulting her in a restroom within the exclusive VIP area of the prestigious Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on the early hours of December 31st, 2022.

Initially, Alves denied knowing the woman during a televised interview but later admitted to engaging in consensual sexual activity with her.

The prosecution has requested a prison sentence of nine years for Alves, along with a compensation of 150,000 euros to be paid to the alleged victim.

Despite the prosecution's request for a closed-door trial, the court has rejected it, allowing the media to cover the proceedings, except for when the accuser takes the stand.

To protect her identity and spare her from facing the accused directly, the accuser will not be visually confronted during the trial.

According to the prosecution, Alves was familiar with the layout of the nightclub and was present that night with a friend. He was in Barcelona on vacation after representing Brazil in the World Cup held in Qatar.

Allegedly, Alves offered champagne to the young woman and her friend before inviting her into a small enclosure at the nightclub, which she claims she did not know was a lavatory.

Once inside, prosecutors state that Alves displayed a "violent attitude" towards the woman and forced her to have intercourse despite her resistance.

The indictment describes a distressing and terrifying situation for the young woman, who repeatedly asked to be released but was prevented from doing so by the defendant.

The woman received medical treatment for "post-traumatic stress of overall high intensity" after leaving the nightclub.

Alves, however, maintains a clear conscience and denies forcing the woman to do anything against her will.

Spanish courts have denied requests for his release, citing a potential flight risk to Brazil, his native country.

A plea deal remains a possibility until the start of the trial, but no agreement has been reached thus far. The trial is expected to conclude on Wednesday.

Following his arrest, Alves was dismissed from his position at Pumas UNAM. Throughout his successful career, he has won numerous trophies, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil.

In football's showpiece tournament, the 2022 World Cup, he achieved the remarkable feat of becoming Brazil's oldest player to represent the country.