Lawyer claims Dani Alves is broke as alleged rape trial begins for former Barcelona and Brazil defender | OneFootball

Former Barcelona, Sevilla and Brazil defender Dani Alves sat in court today as the first day of his trial began. The 40-year-old is accused of rape, and has spent the last year in prison awaiting his day in court, under custody as a potential flight risk.

As reported by MD, Alves will testify last in the case with 28 witnesses, including his wife Joana Sanz, who separated from him after the scandal broke. Alves’ lawyer claimed that her client had a bank balance of negative €20k, and legal embargo on €50k worth of assets, although Marca report that his fortune amounts to around €55m.

The defence also claimed that Alves had not had the right to a fair and equal trial. Firstly, that claim was based on the fact that Alves did not have his blood tested for alcohol and other drugs, which could have been regarded as an extenuating circumstance and potentially reduced a sentence.

Secondly, the defence claimed that the public trial via the media had been unfair and unequal, making Alves out to be an aggressive rapist without reporting all of the facts. It was also claimed that Alves only gave two testimonies as to the events of the night of the incident, rather than the five reported publicly. The prosecution laughed off claims that Alves was having money trouble, and defended that the only public figure involved was Alves, who had been afforded all of the same rights as any other person. At any rate, the judge rejected the request for the trial to be delayed and thrown out.

If Alves is convicted of rape, then he will face a sentence of between 9 and 12 years, as well as being forced to pay compensation of €150k to the victim.