POLICE in Barcelona are investigating an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub said to have involved Brazil star Dani Alves.
Respected Spanish daily ABC has named the defender as the man the victim of the alleged sex crime identified at the scene as being responsible
The 39-year-old former Barcelona right-back, who in Qatar last month became the oldest player to represent Brazil at a World Cup, is understood to be denying any wrongdoing.
He has yet to be questioned by detectives and the woman at the centre of the incident officers are probing say she has yet to attend a police station and present a formal complaint.
The nightclub where the alleged sexual assault occurred has been named as Sutton which is in the centre of Barcelona and is frequented by famous people from around the world.
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ABC report the incident happened in the early hours of Friday morning, although police have said the alleged incident happened around 5am on Saturday morning.
ABC also claim the woman pointing the finger at Alves raised the alarm after a man put his hand inside her underwear at the iconic nightclub.
She is said to have told her friends who then alerted security staff, sparking the activation of a city hall protocol in place for sex assaults and harassment inside privately-owned nightspots which included taking her to a “safe space” and calling in the police immediately.
ABC said: “The Catalan police went to the venue and when the victim spoke to them about the incident, the supposed aggressor had already left the nightclub.
“Contacted by this paper, the footballer’s entourage have denied the allegations.
“They insist the information is false, although Alves was inside the venue, albeit for a short space of time.”
A spokesman for the regional Mossos d’Esquadra police confirmed today: “We are investigating an alleged sexual assault at a nightclub in Barcelona said to have occurred in the early hours of Saturday.”
He declined to confirm reports Dani Alves had been identified by the alleged victim as the aggressor.
The spokesman added: “The woman who made the allegation has been spoken to by police but she has yet to present a formal written complaint at a police station."
Alves, who left Barcelona during the summer and signed for Mexican side UNAM Pumas, has yet to make any official comment on his social media.
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The footballer, who is married to Tenerife-born model Joana Sanz, wished his fans Happy New Year in a message posted on Instagram early this morning/Sunday morning.
He wrote: “Happy 2023 to all. May the love between us reverberate and evil and grudges diminish from the hearts.”
Spanish model Joana has made no comment either on her Instagram.
As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
He is widely considered as one of the greatest full-backs of all time.
He has been a full international for Brazil since 2006 and is the nation’s second most-capped player of all time.
Alves became the oldest Brazilian to play in a FIFA World Cup by playing in his nation’s defeat against Cameroon in the final round of Group G games.
He said before the game: “It’s normal people might question me because of my age or because I might not be at my best at this minute.
“It is something that bothers me but doesn’t affect me. I am reaping what I have planted over the years.”
