Ex-Barcelona defender Dani Alves has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after allegedly touching a woman under her clothes at a nightclub without her consent.
The Brazilian World Cup star was detained on Friday morning and will be kept in custody until a court hearing later, a police spokesperson said
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Alves is accused of touching a woman below her underwear at a Barcelona nightclub on 30 December.
She reported the incident to staff, who alerted police. They took a statement from the woman.She then filed a formal complaint on 2 January.
The player denied the allegations last week in a video he sent to Spanish television channel Antena 3. While acknowledging he had been at the club, he said he did not know the woman and that “I have never invaded the personal space of anyone.”
Alves Denied inappropriate behaviour in an interview with Spanish TV channel Antena 3 earlier this month.
He said: “I was dancing and having a good time without invading anyone’s space.” I don’t know who this lady is… How could I do that to a woman? No.”
The 39-year-old footballer is Brazil’s second most capped player, having made 126 appearances for his country. Alves spent almost a Daniel decade at Barcelona from 2008 to 2016 before moving to Juventus.
Over the past five years he has played for the Turin club, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo before returning to Barcelona for a stint in 2021. He moved to Mexican side Punas UNAM in July.
