Former Brazilian football star Dani Alves, convicted of rape, faces continued detention as he struggles to meet the one-million-euro bail set by a Barcelona court, extending his stay behind bars until Monday.
The court’s unexpected ruling on Wednesday left prosecutors scrambling, as the footballer, who had previously been denied bail due to being deemed a high flight risk since his arrest in January 2023, suddenly found himself facing a different outcome.
Despite being one of the most acclaimed footballers globally, Alves, aged 40, faced a recent conviction for raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub on the early morning of December 31, 2022.
Swiftly taking action, his lawyers appealed against the conviction, and on Tuesday, they applied for his release on bail, arguing that he had already served a quarter of his four-and-a-half-year sentence in pre-trial detention.
The following day, the Barcelona court granted the request under the condition that Alves pay a bail amount of one million euros ($1.08 million), surrender both his Spanish and Brazilian passports, stay within the country’s borders, and appear in court on a weekly basis.
Read also: Convicted Ex-Brazil Star Dani Alves Makes Bail Application
However, he’s consistently failed to meet the crucial 2:00 pm deadline to present the funds, resulting in his continued incarceration.
On Friday, his attorney requested a one-hour extension until 3:00 pm, yet the funds were still not transferred by then, leaving Alves detained until the court office reopens on Monday, according to legal sources.
Since his arrest in January 2023, the footballer’s financial circumstances have worsened, resulting in his dismissal from Mexican club Pumas UNAM and the drying up of other sources of income, his defense team disclosed.
Since being apprehended, Alves has been confined to a prison located near Barcelona.
The appeals procedure may extend over several months before reaching a resolution.
The victim’s lawyer vehemently criticized the court’s decision to grant him bail, denouncing it as ‘justice for the rich.’