Former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves has been found guilty of raping a woman at a nightclub in the City of Barcelona .

Subsequently, the Spanish court sentenced Alves to four years and six months in prison.

Alves has been in trail since January 2023 for sexually assaulting the woman in the early hours of 31 December 2022.

However the 40-year-Old decorated football talent denied the charges and has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023.

The Court heard that Dani Alves lured the woman into a toilet in the VIP section of the nightclub and took advantage of her, he however argued that he never forced the woman to stay.

During the trail the Brazilan had changed his testimony on several occasions. At first he denied knowing the woman in the first place but later acknowledge that they met in the toilet.

He also alegded that the sex was consensual despite testimony and accounts stating otherwise.

Besides the prision sentence the former footballer has been ordered to pay the woman a total of £128,500.

Starting his career at Bahia in 2001, Alves went on to have a successful six-year spell with Sevilla, winning two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey. He joined Barcelona for €32.5 million,becoming the third-most expensive defender of all-time at the time.

He won the treble in his first season with the club and in the next season, won the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Additionally, he helped the club to clinch another two Supercopa de España, five La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles in the years that followed.

ALSO READ: Oscar Pistorius released from prison after serving more than 9 years for girlfriend’s murder