Dani Alves has been jailed for four and a half years after being convicted of raping a woman at a Spanish nightclub.

The disgraced former Barcelona star was told he had been found guilty this morning at the Barcelona court where he was tried earlier this month after being driven to court in a police van.

The 40-year-old father-of-two is now facing his first night behind bars as a convicted sex offender.

He had been held on remand at Brians 2 Prison near the Catalan capital since his arrest in January last year.

Alves protested his innocence on February 7 after taking the stand on the last day of his three-day trial at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial court.

Former Barcelona defender Dani Alves has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison after being found guilty of rape

Prosecutors had been pushing for a 12-year sentence for the 40-year-old Brazilian after being convicted of raping a women at a Spanish nightclub in 2022

The family of Dani Alves are seen leaving the court during the trial earlier this month – including ex-wife Joana Sanz (middle left) and mother Lucia (middle right

He had admitted to cheating on his wife, Joana Sanz (pictured), but insists he had consensual sex with his accuser

He admitted to having sex in a toilet at upmarket Barcelona nightclub Sutton December 30 2022 with his 23-year-old female accuser, but insisted it was consensual.

The woman he was today found guilty of raping confirmed Alves had forced himself on her when she gave her evidence in court behind her screen.

A friend who was with her the night of the rape broke down in tears as she recalled how the victim was ‘crying uncontrollably’ after leaving the small bathroom where the incident occured.

State prosecutors had demanded a nine year prison sentence if Alves was convicted and a private prosecutor acting for the victim demanded a 12-year jail term at his trial.

Judicial officials confirmed today: ‘Daniel Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault.

‘The court also ordered him to stay away from his victim for nine and a half years and determined he should pay his victim 150,000 euros and pay costs.

A 61-page ruling found Alves ‘grabbed hold of the victim, threw her on the ground and prevented her from moving’ during the act 

At the height of his career, Alves was considered as one of the best right-backs in the world 

‘The sentence says it has been proved the victim didn’t consent and there is proof supporting the victim’s testimony to consider the rape has been proven.’

The fact Alves deposited the compensation he has now been ordered to pay was taken into account as a mitigating factor in determining his sentence.

The three judges said it had been proven Alves ‘grabbed hold of the victim, threw her on the ground and prevented her from moving while he penetrated her, despite her saying ‘no’ and insisting she wanted to leave.’

They said in their 61-page ruling the victim had acted coherently during the investigation and the trial that followed it and nothing in any of her court quizzes had revealed any contradictions.

Alves, who became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar, was ordered to stand trial last November.

Initially it was reported he had been accused of putting his hands down a woman’s underwear inside a toilet in the VIP area of Sutton nightclub before it emerged his victim was saying she had been raped.

He was sacked by Mexican side UNAM Pumas following his arrest in Barcelona at the start of last year after he flew back to the Catalan capital to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.

A van carrying Alves arrives at the court in Barcelona ahead of sentencing 

The vehicle drives into the courthouse ahead of Alves facing the judges on Thursday

Police and security officials close the door behind them before Alves was handed down the sentence in the Catalan city

Representatives of the victim are seen leaving the court in Barcelona 

He made repeated bail requests after being remanded in jail but they were all turned down, with judges saying his victim’s version of events was coherent and pointing out Alves had changed his story several times as the evidence authorities against him emerged.

Alves claimed before his arrest he had never met his female accuser but ended up backtracking after being held.

In an exclusive interview from his cell in Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona last June with Spanish TV and newspaper reporter Mayka Navarro, he claimed: ‘The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.’

As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.

He is widely considered as one of the greatest full-backs of all time.

At the start of the year his mum Lucia Alves caused controversy and left herself open to future prosecution by naming and picturing her son’s rape accuser in a social media post she later removed.

She attended his trial, held from February 5 to 7, along with Alves’ brothers.

Members of the press and photographers wait outside the court ahead of the trial 

The former Brazil international has been on remand since being arrested last year 

Alves was best known for playing for LaLiga team Barcelona – where he featured 391 times 

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