The former Barcelona player was released after being allowed to continue his trial at liberty, despite having been convicted at first instance. The non-fulfilment of the four-and-a-half-year prison sentence and the 14 months he spent in preventive detention led the court to grant him bail of one million euros and other accompanying measures.

Dani Alves walked out of a prison near Barcelona on Monday after paying the €1 million bail set by a court to ensure his release pending the outcome of a timely appeal.

Alves had been in prison since his arrest in January 2023 on suspicion of raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of 31 December 2022. 

This suspicion was confirmed by the first-instance verdict, which is currently being appealed by the former Brazil international, who maintains his innocence.

Dressed in jeans and a black jacket, Alves looked impassive as he left Brians 2 prison in San Esteban Sasroviras, near Barcelona, with his lawyer Ines Guardiola, who lodged the appeal.

As well as paying just over €1 million, the 40-year-old from Bahia had to give up his Brazilian and Spanish passports, stay in Spain and report to the court every week, and was banned from having any contact with the victim. Alves' lawyers are seeking his acquittal and the appeal process could take months. The prosecution also wants his jail term doubled to nine years.

The accusers and the victim's lawyer, Ester García, have appealed against the decision to grant Alves bail. "This sends the message that this is justice for the rich. Even with a conviction, if you pay bail, there are no criminal consequences. It's a very dangerous message for society," she said last week. She added that her client was "totally outraged, very discouraged and very frustrated".

During the trial, the victim, who testified behind a screen to protect her identity, said Alves forcibly raped her despite her pleas to let her go, causing her "fear and terror", according to the prosecution. 

Alves' lawyers argued that the victim had become "attached" to the player while they were dancing at the nightclub and that there was "sexual tension" between them. In the 61-page decision, the court said this did not mean "that she consented to anything that might have happened afterwards".