BARCELONA, Spain – Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves was arrested on Friday after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Spain.
The alleged crime took place at a nightclub in Barcelona on December 31, police told The Associated Press.
Alves was taken into custody after responding to a police summons. He will be brought before a judge who will decide who will be charged. Prosecutors have requested his detention without bail, prosecutors said.
A sexual assault charge in Spain can mean anything from unsolicited and unwanted sexual advances to rape. Police said they could not provide details about the case.
The player denied the allegations in a video he sent to Spanish TV channel Antena 3 last week. He admitted he’d been at the club, but said he didn’t know the woman and that “I’ve never invaded anyone’s personal space.”
Alves, 39, is one of football’s most accomplished players, having won major titles with several elite clubs including Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain over his long career. He currently plays for Mexican club Pumas.
The defender played a key role in Barcelona’s golden years, playing on the right side of the team behind Lionel Messi between 2008-16. He won the Champions League three times with the Catalan club, who he briefly returned to last season.
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