At the height of their fame and career, celebrities find it easier to escape accountability because of all the shelter they receive with the riches they make. However, things change when all the attention fades. Most people wouldn’t imagine an ex-footballer who was one of the best in the game having to spend his retirement in jail.
While these kinds of stories aren’t rare nowadays, they are still surprising when they happen. Former Barcelona player Dani Alves was convicted of rape and received a four-year and six months prison sentence. How did he get here?
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Dani Alves’ Sexual Assault Case
In 2023, Dani Alves was indicted for a sexual assault case in Spain, in connection to an incident that occurred in a nightclub in Barcelona on the night of 31 December 2022, according to the victim. After presenting their arguments, he was formally charged and arrested under Spanish law.
The ex-footballer didn’t expedite the process and wasn’t allowed bail as he was considered a flight risk. Consequently, he was in detention in a facility outside Barcelona throughout the trial period.
The judge eventually delivered the verdict and the Brazilian received a four-year and six-month sentence, with another five years of probation. He paid 150,000 euros to the court as compensation for the victim, something they took into account.
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Tainted Legacy
After Dani Alves received his conviction, his former club Barcelona withdrew his status as a club ‘legend’ but a few hours later, quietly reinstated him. They received backlash from the fans, which prompted their change of heart. The club hasn’t issued an official statement on the matter.
In his hometown of Juazeiro in Bahia, Brazil, his statue was vandalized as people showed their anger towards him.
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Dani Alves’ Football Career
The former right-back was almost unplayable during his active playing career. His most significant years were with Barcelona where he spent eight years. He made 247 appearances and won nearly every title in club football from the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa Del Rey and others.
Before that, he was part of Sevilla’s team where he was also a standout member of the team, playing 175 games, and scoring 11 goals. After he departed, from Barcelona, he went to Juventus, Paris Saint Germain, and then back to Brazil and Mexico where she finished his career.
Individually, he also collected a lot of accolades and cemented his status in world football. Internationally with Brazil, Dani Alves won a couple of titles although their World Cup exploits weren’t fruitful. He was part of the Brazilian team that lost 7-1 on home soil to Germany in 2014.
Dani Alves has an emphatic footballing career, but he has lost all that shine with his conviction. Celebrities tend to forget that their actions catch up to them and that one day they’ll not be as influential as they used to be. This ought to be a lesson to anyone who uses their authority over other members of society to be careful in how they behave or what they do.
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