(Daily Point) — In Barcelona, Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, aged 40, has been handed a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub in 2022.

Despite Alves consistently asserting that the encounter was consensual, the top court in Spain’s Catalonia region ruled otherwise, emphasizing that evidence, along with the victim’s testimony, supports the conclusion of rape. The court also ordered Alves to pay 150,000 euros ($163,000) to the victim. Originally facing a prosecutor’s demand for a nine-year prison term, Alves has the option to appeal the verdict.

The former Barcelona defender, arrested in January of the preceding year, has been in custody since then. The case has garnered widespread attention due to Alves’ high-profile status and the growing discourse on gender violence in Spain. Notably, this trial stands as one of Spain’s most prominent legal proceedings since the enactment of a 2022 law that prioritizes consent in sexual assault cases and raises the minimum prison sentence for assaults involving violence.

Alves’ legal team was not immediately available for comment, but lawyer David Saenz expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating that it affirmed the truthfulness of the victim’s account and acknowledged her suffering. He added that further analysis would be conducted to assess whether the sentence aligns with the gravity of the crime.

With a decorated career that included over 40 trophies for Brazil and renowned clubs such as Barcelona, Sevilla, Juventus, and Paris St Germain, Alves faced professional consequences following his arrest. He was terminated by Mexico’s Pumas UNAM.