Former FC Barcelona player Dani Alves one step away from trial for alleged sexual assault

Former FC Barcelona player, Dani Alves, is now one step away from facing trial for alleged sexual assault.

A judge concluded on Monday that there was enough evidence for Alves to face trial, after the court finished its initial investigation. 

Earlier this year, it was made public that a woman had gone to police accusing the Brazilian footballer of sexual assault in Barcelona's Sutton nightclub on the night of Friday, December 30, 2022.

Alves has been summoned to court next Wednesday, when the indictment will be read out and the player will have the chance to testify again. After that, a date for the trial will be set. 

Dani Alves has been on preventive detention in the Catalan capital since January, as the private and public prosecutors argued that he was a flight risk.

Since the accusation was made public, Dani Alves has changed his testimony several times. Back in April, the player testified at his own request and told the judge that the relationship between the footballer and the accuser was totally consensual and that he had lied about the incident at first because he was "obsessed" with hiding his infidelity from his wife.