Dani Alves released from prison after paying €1 million bail

Dani Alves has been released from jail, several Spanish sources report. The Brazilian has paid the €1m (£850,000; $1,083,380) bail set by a Barcelona Court.

It is not clear who has paid the bail. What is certain is that it was not Neymar Sr., who made a statement refusing to post bail to release former FC Barcelona player.

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According to The Sun, Neymar Sr. killed the rumors in a family statement: "For us, for my family, this matter is over. Full stop."

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"With the Spanish court ruling for his conviction, there's speculation and an attempt to associate my name and my son's to a matter that is not within our reach any longer."

The Sun also reported that Neymar Sr. was happy to financially support Alves during the trial, but after being found guilty of serious sexual assault, the support stopped.

The former Barcelona, PSG, and Juventus player is in dire straights financially and had to ask his friends for support. Alves already sought help from Neymar to pay reparations to the victim.

Dani Alves was found guilty and sentenced to four years and six months in prison. The former Barcelona player will serve his sentence in Spain, where he once conquered countless trophies as one of the world's best defenders.

According to Cadena SER, in addition to the prison sentence, the judge imposed the former Brazilian player a 5-year parole, and a 10-year restriction order on the victim. The judge also ordered a €150,000 (£128,500, $162,180) reparation for the victim.

Dani Alves will not only have to pay the reparation costs but will also have to settle the legal expenses behind the trial.

The events unfolded on February 21, 2024, after Dani Alves had been summoned to court, although the reason was not specified.

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There was the option of granting provisional release until a sentence was handed down, but the judge repeatedly denied the request.

Inés Guardiola, the lawyer of Dani Alves, put in a total of four requests for a provisional release but was denied every single request by the judge. Bail was not an option at the time for Alves.

Alves' sentence, despite what it may seem, is quite far from the original 12-year sentence, under the request of the prosecution.

According to AP News, the defense requested an acquittal, alleging abusive alcohol consumption on the night of the events and that the relations were consensual, to obtain a reduction in the sentence. Finally, it has been 4 years and 6 months in prison for the former Barcelona defender.

Catalan News reported that a Barcelona Court granted Alves release from prison on €1 million bail, despite having served only a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence. Neymar Sr. was his only option, but that has now disappeared.

The events date back to December 30, 2022, in the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, where the victim was allegedly physically abused by Alves.

For just over a year, the footballer's trial has been one of the most high-profile in recent times, given that the Brazilian is tied with Lionel Messi to have won the most titles in football history. But his journey as a player has surely come to an end now, as he embarks on a new journey.

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