Brazilian football star Dani Alves has been detained in Barcelona following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in a nightclub in the city last month, it has been reported.
Alves, 39, was questioned at a police station in the Les Corts district of the Catalan capital, according to Spanish out AS.
The defender is now set to make a court appearance to answer claims that he groped a female patron at Barcelona nightspot ‘Sutton’ on December 31. Alves has firmly denied the allegations against him.
Alves is recognized as the most decorated footballer of all time, amassing a haul of 42 trophies to his name during a career spent at the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. He has also made 126 appearances for the Brazilian national team, with the most recent of those coming at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Alves currently plays at Mexican team Pumas. The footballer had reportedly traveled to Spain from Mexico following the death of the mother of his Tenerife-born wife.
It was claimed that Alves had arranged his police interview through lawyers, according to the Daily Mail, and that he was detained and fingerprinted as part of routine procedure. He faced questioning before being taken to court for further quizzing on the alleged sexual assault.
Alves spent the most successful part of his career at Barcelona, winning six La Liga titles and a hat-trick of Champions League crowns alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and fellow greats Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.