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Ex-professional soccer player Dani Alves in a courtroom in Barcelona at the beginning of February
Photo: Jordi Borras / AFP
Football star Dani Alves, who was imprisoned in Spain for rape, hoped in vain for financial help from his friend Neymar for his temporary release. “For us, for my family, the matter is over,” wrote Neymar’s father on Instagram, responding to Spanish media reports that he would pay one million euros so that Alves could be released pending an appeal.
At the beginning of February, Alves was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in Barcelona for sexual abuse. On Wednesday, a Spanish court decided to release him from prison - provided Alves pays bail. As it became known yesterday, Alves was unable to raise the buzzer on time.
It is not the first time that Alves is dependent on the Neymars' financial support. As early as August 2023, Neymar's father presented Alves with a fine of 150,000 euros. The 59-year-old confirmed this in his Instagram post, but this time it was “a different situation”. The action caused the Neymar family a lot of criticism at the time. “I hope that Daniel finds all the answers he is looking for with his own family,” wrote Neymar Senior.
Alves himself apparently has problems getting money. Partial amounts in his accounts in Brazil are blocked due to a legal dispute with his ex-wife Dinorah Santana over outstanding child support payments. According to his lawyer Ines Guardiola, Alves' Spanish accounts are in the red. However, Alves is said to be waiting in Spain for a tax refund worth several million euros.
Alves, the most successful professional footballer in history after Lionel Messi with 42 titles, has been in custody for around a year now. He played 126 times for the Brazilian national team and is best known in Europe for his time at FC Barcelona.
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