Dani Alves, in a match with the UNAM Pumas, last September Hector Vivas (Getty Images)
The case of Dani Alves was untenable for the Pumas. The varsity club announced this Friday that the player is no longer part of the team after entering a prison on rape charges. The Brazilian testified before authorities that he sexually abused a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on December 30. “With this decision, the club reaffirms its commitment not to tolerate any actions by members of the institution that go against the spirit of the university and its values,” said Leopoldo Silva, president of the Mexico team.
“Club Universidad Nacional is an institution that promotes respect and honest, dignified and professional behavior from its players on and off the pitch. We cannot allow one person’s behavior to harm our work philosophy,” Silva added this Friday afternoon in the Mexican capital.
Alves has been traveling to Barcelona since last week when his team, the UNAM Pumas, gave him permission to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral. Since then, the club haven’t released any further details until the Brazilian was arrested by the Mosssos and taken to a police station to make a statement. The 39-year-old’s side denied having had non-consensual sex with the young woman. However, the victim’s testimony was “coherent and sound,” according to court sources. In addition, the authorities have already evaluated evidence such as fingerprints and biological remains.
To understand the Alves case, one has to rewind to the early morning of December 30th. After playing the World Cup in Qatar with Brazil, Dani Alves spent his holidays in Barcelona before traveling to Mexico City to play with the Pumas. Alves went to a luxurious and exclusive nightclub in the Catalan capital, Sutton, with a group of friends. There the footballer tried to approach the alleged victim. The woman said she did not know Alves, who ironically affirmed he was a pétanque player, the complaint said. The athlete took the young woman’s hand and placed it on his penis. Minutes later, Alves invited her into the bathroom and that’s where the alleged rape took place. The scene, which lasted 15 minutes, was described as very violent. The applicant became aware of what was happening that same night and was treated in a hospital in Barcelona. Two days later, he reported the incident to the Catalan authorities.
Born in Juazeiro, Brazil, the man denied knowing the applicant. He even sent a video to the Antena 3 program Y ahora Sonsoles to say he never knew the victim. That Friday, before the judge, he accepted that he partially had a relationship with the girl. The judge found that Dani Alves was economically able to flee and that he had no roots in Spain and faces severe prison terms ranging from four to 12 years.
Last summer, a new Transfermarkt rumor went around Mexican football. The press close to Pumas assured that the club would try to hire Dani Alves, who finished his second cycle at Barcelona. After a jaloneo between the board and the player, an agreement was reached. On July 21, he was announced as a new player. That meant a media boom for a league in decline for spectacle and performance. In addition, some Pumas were used to training football players and had difficulties in hiring high-level players. The club is also the sporting face of Latin America’s highest university, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The sports institution capitulated to the Brazilian, who wanted to reach the World Cup in Qatar with a good level. In his first tournament, Alves was one of the most visited and influenced, but his quality didn’t spread to the rest of his teammates. The poor performance led to boos and insults directed at the former Barcelona player. The Brazilian’s last game in Mexico was on January 8, where he was reconciled with his people.
Subscribe here to the EL PAÍS México newsletter and receive all the important information about current events in this country