Problems have been accumulating for Dani Alves since he entered provisional prison on January 20 without bail accused of raping a 23-year-old girl in a bathroom at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on December 31. In addition to the penalty he faces (between 4 and 15 years in prison), he is joined by problems in the marriage (his wife Joana Sanz has deleted all the photos of the footballer from her Instagram and it is rumored that she has filed for divorce) and economic obstacles derived from his alleged crime, of which Judge Anna Marín (now the case is handled by Concepción Cantón), recorded in the order: “There are much more than enough evidence to consider that a rape occurred at dawn on December 31 at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona and that the suspect was the author of it.
While the victim is in psychological treatment and under medication, according to his lawyer, Ester García, Alves seems to have overcome the first shock. The Brazilian participates in soccer matches between inmates that are played in the courtyard of Brians 2, he shares a cell with a prisoner named Coutinho who was Ronaldinho’s bodyguard and supposedly feels strong. «I left home when I was barely 15 years old. I have overcome in my life very difficult and complicated situations. This will be one more that will pass. I’m not scared at all”, they say that he confessed to a fellow prisoner while his defense tries to obtain parole by minimizing the risk of escape (his lawyer, Cristóbal Martell, filed an appeal on Monday in which he even proposed the portability of a telematic bracelet) and trying to prove that the sexual relations they had were consented to.
Not everyone believes in the principle of innocence. Pumas, the Mexican club in which he was a member and in which he barely played 13 games, announced the termination of his contract as soon as he was imprisoned and demands compensation of about 4.5 million euros for violating the terms of conduct, a matter that could end up in FIFA. His sponsors have also turned their backs on him. Companies such as Hygia Saúde (financial and insurance services), 1xPartners (sports betting) and Ethika (clothing firm) suspended all agreed payments they had with the player. Adidas decided not to renew the agreement they had and which expired on January 18.
Alves’ financial muscle is weakening and even more so after his debt with the Treasury has been disclosed, which has seized his properties in Spain. He owes 2.35 million to the Tax Agency, he has an embargoed flat in a municipality adjacent to Barcelona and only two of the six companies he created are still active.