Dani Alves to be sentenced on Thursday

The Barcelona High Court has summoned former Barcelona player Dani Alves for Thursday to inform him of the sentence of the sexual assault trial held against him a fortnight ago, a case for which he faces a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.

According to legal sources, the 21st section of the Barcelona Court of Appeal has summoned the footballer at 10.30 CET, so he will have to be driven in a police van to the court from Brians prison, where he was provisionally imprisoned just over a year ago.

In addition to Alves, the lawyers for the footballer's defence and the victim's private prosecution will have to appear before the Barcelona Court tomorrow to receive the sentence.

Along with the sentence, the Court ruled on the request for provisional release made by the footballer's lawyer, Ines Guardiola, at the end of the trial, which was held between 5th and 7th February.

The prosecution is asking for nine years in prison for the Brazilian international, who is accused of a crime of sexual assault for raping a 23-year-old girl in the bathroom of a reserved area of the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on the night of 30th December 2022.

For its part, the private prosecution, exercised by lawyer Ester Garcia, is asking for 12 years in prison and the same compensation as the prosecution, 150,000 euros.

The player's defence, which denies the rape, asks the court to acquit him or, alternatively, to sentence him to one year in prison for sexual assault.