A Spanish court has rejected Dani Alves’ request for more time to prepare for his trial over allegations of sexually assaulting a woman in Barcelona in 2022.
The former footballer, arrested in January last year, faces a nine-year prison term and damages of 150,000 euros.
Alves initially denied any encounter with the woman, later stating it was consensual.
The trial commenced at the Provincial Court of Barcelona, where Alves argued he faced trial by media. The public prosecutor accuses him of forcing sex without a condom.
His mother, accompanied by one of his brothers, blew kisses and made a heart-shaped sign with her hands as Alves, handcuffed and escorted by police officers, entered the room.
The three-judge panel denied a request by Alves’ lawyer, Ines Guardiola for the trial to be suspended on the basis that he was not given enough time to prepare for his first police interview after his arrest and had suffered a parallel trial by the media.
The case has attracted significant attention, not only due to Alves’ profile as one of the greatest players of all time.
Sexual assault is a dominant political theme in Spain, even more so after the alleged non-consensual kiss that then Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales planted on the lips of Jenni Hermoso after the team’s World Cup triumph last August.
Alves’ trial is one of Spain’s highest-profile since a 2022 law from the socialist-led government made consent a key factor in sexual assault cases and increased the minimum jail time for such assaults involving violence.
The law was prompted by the 2016 gang-rape of a teenager during the San Fermin bull-running festival after the five men were originally convicted by a lower court of sexual abuse, sparking mass protests. The country’s top court subsequently ruled they were guilty of rape.
The case triggered national soul-searching on the topic, which continues to this day as gender violence rates remain high.
In Spain, a claim of rape is now investigated under the general accusation of sexual assault, with rape as an aggravating factor.
The Alves trial is expected to last three days.
The alleged victim testified on Monday in a closed-doors session. She talked from behind a screen, with her voice distorted to protect her identity.
A total of 30 people will give evidence, with Alves taking the stand last.
Alves has won more than 40 trophies for Brazil and clubs including Barcelona, Sevilla, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Following his arrest, he was fired by Mexico’s Pumas UNAM.