A Barcelona court has granted conditional release to former Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves, allowing him to post bail of $1.08 million (one million euros) after his recent conviction for sexual assault, the court’s press office announced Wednesday.
Alves was sentenced by the Barcelona provincial court on February 22 to four and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub in late December 2022.
In a 13-page ruling on the bail, seen by CNN, the court noted that Alves has already spent 14 months in prison, including time in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023 and subsequent conviction.
Alves’ legal team has indicated their intention to appeal the conviction and sentence. As part of the bail conditions, the court stipulated that if Alves posts the $1.08 million bail, he must surrender both his Spanish and Brazilian passports and report to the court weekly.
Furthermore, the court ordered that Alves must stay at least a kilometer away from the victim and refrain from any form of communication with her.
While two judges approved the bail ruling, a third judge dissented, and the decision remains subject to appeal, according to the court.
CNN reached out to representatives for Alves and the victim for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Alves, 40, is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished soccer players of his era, having won domestic titles in Spain, Italy, and France. He claimed three Champions League titles with Barcelona in 2009, 2011, and 2015, as well as the Copa América with Brazil in 2007 and 2019.
In the 61-page sentencing document from Alves’ trial, which CNN obtained, the three-judge panel concluded that they found evidence supporting the accusation that Alves forcibly restrained the plaintiff, preventing her from leaving before carrying out the sexual assault in December 2022, despite her protests. Alves maintained during the trial that the encounter was consensual.
