Ex-Brazil star Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in jail for rape

A Spanish court on Thursday sentenced former Brazil international Dani Alves to four and a half years in prison after finding him guilty of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

"The victim did not consent and there is evidence that, beyond the complainant's testimony, permits the rape to be considered proven," the Barcelona court wrote in a statement.

Prosecutors had called for a nine-year jail sentence for the three-time Champions League winner followed by 10 years of probation.

One of the world's most decorated footballers who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain during a storied career, Alves, 40, went on trial earlier this month on charges of raping a woman at the Sutton nightclub in the early hours of 31 December, 2022.

His accuser - who testified behind a screen to protect her identity - said Alves had violently forced her to have sex in a private bathroom of the nightclub despite her begging him to let her go, causing her "anguish and terror", according to prosecutors.

BREAKING: Former Barcelona and Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault. pic.twitter.com/nKymmFgXlQ

A friend who was with her broke down in tears as she told the court how the victim was "crying uncontrollably" after leaving the bathroom, saying Alves had "really hurt" her.

Police officers who attended the woman told the court about the victim's state of agitation and "shock" when they arrived at the nightclub, as well as her anxiety that "nobody would believe her" if she filed a complaint.

Alves, who was present in court throughout his three-day trial, testified that his sexual encounter with the woman was consensual and denied hitting