BREAKING UPDATE: Judge sends Brazilian international Dani Alves to prison after arrest in Barcelona over sexual assault claims

FOLLOWING his arrest this morning, a judge has sent Brazilian international footballer Dani Alves to prison for alleged sexual assault.

UPDATE 5.54 pm (January 20) – A judge has sent Brazilian international Dani Alves to prison following his arrest in Barcelona over sexual assault claims.

The judge has ordered provisional detention without bail for Dani Alves, who is accused of rape in Barcelona.

The footballer, who currently plays for a Mexican club, has given a statement after being accused of committing sexual assault last December at a Barcelona nightclub.

More to follow…

ORIGINAL 11.16 am (January 20) – A top Brazilian international footballer has been arrested over sexual assault claims made against the player.

Spanish news outlet reported on Friday, January 20 that top Brazilian international footballer Dani Alves has been arrested in Barcelona after claims that he had sexually assaulted a woman at the Sutton nightclub on December 30.

The 40-year-old, who has been dating model Joana Sanz since 2017, was arrested at the Mossos d’Esquadra de Les Corts police station in Barcelona where he had been to clarify the events in Spain’s Barcelona at the end of 2022.

According to Spanish news outlet El Confidencial, the former Barcelona defender was led away by police at around 10 am this morning and he will now be taken to the Ciutat de la Justicia in Barcelona, ​​where he will go to court to await a decision by a judge, who will decide on his provisional situation while the case is being investigated.

Speaking prior to his arrest, the right-back, who now plays his club football for Pumas in Mexico and who recently played for Brazil in the Qatar World Cup, has publicly denied the claims of the woman.

“Yes, I was in that place, with more people, enjoying myself. And people who know me knows that I love to dance. I was dancing and enjoying myself without invading the space of others,” he said.

“I don’t know who that lady is. You arrive at a bathroom and you don’t have to ask who’s there. I have never invaded anyone’s space. How am I going to do it with a woman or a girl? No, for God’s sake.”