On Tuesday, a judge approved the case involving former Barcelona and Sevilla defender Dani Alves for trial. The 40-year-old, who has twice been denied bail, has been imprisoned since January after being charged with rape following an incident that took place in Barcelona in December 2022.
The trial date is expected to early next year, although it now appears that it could be avoided altogether. According to Carlos Quilez in “Y ahora Sonsoles” (via Diario AS), the prosecution and defence teams are working on a plea agreement which would see Alves avoid trial.
However, Alves would not avoid a significant sentence, and Quilez believes that the Brazilian will agree to spend the next four years behind bars.
“This program may advance something more than a rumour, and that is that (the sentence will be) four years, and as well as juicy compensation to the victim.”
Alves had maintained his innocence throughout, although he may not have the chance to avoid this at trial if a plea agreement is reached in the coming weeks.