Watch live: Former Barcelona footballer Dani Alves’s rape trial begins
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Your support makes all the difference.Watch live as former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves appears in court on Monday, charged with the rape of a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub.
Alves, 40, was arrested in January 2023 over assault allegations and has been in prison without bail since then.
It is understood that the former player faces damning scientific and video evidence, as well as eyewitness accounts as the victim immediately reported the alleged incident to police.
He was formally indicted in a Barcelona court in August 2023 and a judge said she had found evidence of wrongdoing by Alves, deciding there was enough evidence to send him to trial.
The Brazillian has changed his defence and his lawyer several times, and now claims he was too drunk to know what he was doing at the time.
A Spanish prosecutor is recommending a prison term of nine years for Alves.
The prosecutor has also asked for a restraining order placed upon him following the jail term, and to pay damages of approximately €150,000 (£130,000) to the woman.
Alves played 126 times for Brazil, including at the Qatar World Cup in late 2022. His contract with Mexican club UNAM was terminated after his arrest.
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