FC Barcelona Erases Dani Alves’ Club Legend Status Following Guilty Verdict in Court Trial

After a series of court trials, Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman in 2022, in a Barcelona nightclub. Thereafter, Alves received four years and six months of jail sentence. The court ordered him to pay around $9,700 in damages to the victim. An additional compensation of $164,000 was also demanded by the court. Apart from the court, Alves’ former club FC Barcelona has also decided to punish him.

FC Barcelona has stripped Dani Alves of the club’s ‘legendary player’ status after his recent conviction. Barcelona had elevated Alves as a ‘legendary player’ for spending nine years in the club, winning three UEFA Champions League titles and six La Liga titles. The Brazilian shared the status with the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, among others. Altogether, Barcelona boasts a staggering 102 legends who have joined that clout since November 1899.

Amid the vitriol, Dani Alves denied his wrongdoing. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Ines Guardiola, confirmed that she will appeal again. In Spain, however, Alves’ case is viewed as a landmark victory of legal success. Spain’s vice-president Yoland Diaz lauded the legal victory against Alves and condemned the aggression against women. Anyhow, the vitriol against the 40-year-old is not confined to Spain and Barcelona. Alves’ hometown in Brazil is also stripping certain honors bestowed on him after the conviction.

Dani Alves’ hometown residents turn against him with a rare gesture

Shortly after it was alleged that Dani Alves committed the crime, fans in his hometown vandalized his statue in Bahia, Brazil. Authorities in Bahia honored Alves with the statue in the city of Juazeiro in 2020. Now, fans have called for the authorities to permanently remove it. Considering the gravity of the Brazilian player’s wrongdoing, the authorities could probably remove the statue from Bahia. Besides, fans have twice vandalized the statue since Alves got caught up in the fiasco.

READ MORE: Is Dani Alves Bankrupt? Barcelona Legend’s Dip In Net Worth Due To Trial Will Leave You Shocked

Additionally, Brazilian Minister for Women, Cida Goncalves has termed Alves’ four-year sentence as ‘soft.’ Meanwhile, in a turn nobody anticipated, Brazilian President of the Worker’s Party, Gleisi Hoffman has called out that Alves’ ex-teammate Neymar allegedly paid his $164,000 damages to the victim. There is no actual evidence regarding Neymar paying for the damages. However, soccer fans will be eagerly waiting to know if Neymar has any involvement in this fiasco.

What are your thoughts on Barcelona’s gesture towards the Brazilian? Tell us in the comments.

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