For one of the most titled players in the history of Dani Alves, the game will soon fade into the background.
The owner of 42 different trophies in the clubs and national teams of Brazil is at the center of a serious scandal and will be forced to focus on the fight for his freedom.
On Friday, January 20, several Spanish publications reported at once that at around 10 am local time, Alves voluntarily appeared at the police station in Barcelona for questioning on charges of sexual assault.
In the same place, he was detained and left the department already in the car of law enforcement agencies.
According to the Antena3 TV channel, first of all, the athlete was waiting for the standard procedures: photographing, fingerprinting and checking the database.
At the same time, the Catalan police refuse to give journalists any details of the case.
Next, Alves had to choose a measure of restraint.
There were several options for the development of events from being allowed to return to Mexico, where he currently defends the colors of UNAM "Pumas", to being taken into custody for the duration of the investigation.
As a result, the court, agreeing with the prosecutor's office, issued the harshest verdict.
Moreover, the athlete was not even allowed to make a bail.
It is curious that, according to El País, until recently, the club did not know where the player was, and even waited for the arrival of the Brazilian for the next match over the weekend.
This version is surprising, because the media reported in advance about the possible arrest of the three-time winner of the Champions League, and on January 13 his lawyers were ordered to facilitate the visit of the client to the station.
The incident involving Alves took place on the night of December 31st.
After the end of the World Cup in Qatar, where Dani, together with his national team, reached the quarterfinals, UNAM Pumas gave him a vacation.
The athlete was going to go to Tenerife for the funeral of his mother-in-law.
However, on New Year's Eve, he decided to visit one of the most prestigious and expensive nightclubs in Barcelona, Sutton.
According to some reports, he spent the whole night in the institution.
There, a fatal meeting took place with a woman whose name, in the interests of the investigation, is kept secret.
According to the victim, a 39-year-old man put his hand under her underwear without permission.
Almost immediately after the story was made public, Eltaquigrafo had access to Sutton's CCTV footage.
It can be seen from them that the football player, along with a friend, entered the building at 2 am.
In the VIP box, they began to interact with several groups of girls.
And at about 03:30 the same company, which included the applicant, joined them.
Until 04:22, the guests danced quietly until the woman went to the toilet.
The athlete followed her.
They spent 47 seconds inside, and it was not clear what was happening there.
Then both left the premises, and ten minutes later Alves and his friend decided to leave the establishment.
According to the media, events at that moment developed rapidly.
The frightened girl allegedly was very nervous and turned to her friends for help.
They immediately reported the incident to the bar's security service.
In turn, the guards, in accordance with the current city protocol against attacks and sexual harassment in nightclubs, immediately called the police, and the girls were placed in a safe place.
Later, the victim underwent a medical examination in a Barcelona hospital to confirm that the athlete had caused her physical harm, and the police took her testimony.
A few days later, on January 2, the girl filed an application, and on the 10th the city court opened a case.
Alves himself immediately denied all accusations against him.
The day after the ill-fated trip to the club, the ABC publication, which wrote about the possible harassment, was contacted by people from the football player’s entourage and emphasized that he went there for a short time and nothing special happened.
And then the defender himself made an official statement.
In his opinion, the woman whom he allegedly harassed, having learned that a famous person was in front of her, deliberately tried to denigrate him.
“Yes, I was in that place with other people and had a good time.
And those who know me know that I love to dance.
I danced and had a good time without invading other people's space.
I don't know who this girl is.
When you come to the toilet, you do not ask who is there.
I have never invaded anyone's space.
How can I do this to a woman?
No, for God's sake, ”Sport.es quotes the man.
His wife also stood up for him.
Spanish model Joana Sans stressed that her husband would never behave this way towards the fairer sex, although he was repeatedly tried to seduce.
“I know who my husband is, I know how I met him, I know how respectful he is, because even when he met me, he did not show disrespect.
I've seen many times... women come up cheekily to try and arrange something with my husband right in front of me.
If they do this in my presence, then I don’t even want to imagine what happens when I’m not around, ”she said.
Sanz did not stop supporting Alves after his arrest.
In particular, she posted on social networks a photo of crossed arms with her lover and the inscription “Together” (“Together”).