Dani Alves has been stripped of his legendary player status at Barcelona following his conviction for sexual assault.
On February 22, 2022, Alves was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for raping a 23-year-old woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay €9,000 (£7,700) for the physical damage caused to the victim.
Alves, who denied any wrongdoing, intends to appeal the verdict, as stated by his lawyer, Inés Guardiola.
In response to Alves’s sentence, Barcelona has removed him from their official list of club legends, which includes 102 players, including club founder Joan Gamper and Lionel Messi.
Notably, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Gerard Pique were the most recent players to be inducted, with Alves’s name no longer appearing on the club’s official website.
Despite his recent legal troubles, Alves enjoyed a distinguished career, making 408 appearances for Barcelona across two spells and winning six league titles and three Champions League trophies, among numerous other honours.
He also had successful stints with Sevilla, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain, and earned 126 caps for Brazil at the international level.
Alves was playing for Mexican club PUMAS when he was arrested in January 2023, leading to the immediate termination of his contract.
During the trial, the prosecution sought a nine-year jail term for Alves, while the victim’s legal team demanded 12 years.
However, Alves’s final sentence slightly exceeded the minimum of four years, and he may soon be released on licence after already serving 12 months on remand.