BARCELONA, Feb 5, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Brazilian footballer Dani Alves, a

former star at Barca and PSG, goes on trial Monday in Barcelona accused of
raping a woman in a local nightclub.

Prosecutors are asking for a nine-year prison sentence, followed by 10 years
of conditional liberty. They are also asking he pay 150,000 euros ($162,000)
in compensation to the woman.

The trial opens at 9 am GMT and is due to wrap up Wednesday.

The 40-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain defender has been in
jail since his arrest in January 2023 after a woman accused him of raping her
in a bathroom of the VIP area of the upscale Sutton nightclub in Barcelona in
the early hours of December 31, 2022.

Alves has said they had consensual sex after initially denying knowing the
woman during a television interview.

According to the prosecution, Alves -- who was on holiday in Barcelona at the
time after playing for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar -- offered champagne
to the young woman and her friend.

Alves then allegedly invited the woman to enter a small enclosure at the
nightclub, which she says she did not know was a lavatory.

Once inside the footballer showed a "violent attitude" and forced her to have
intercourse despite her resistance, prosecutors say according to the
indictment.

"The victim asked him several times to let her go, saying she wanted to leave
but the defendant prevented her from doing so," according to the indictment,
which describes a "situation of anguish and terror" for the young woman.

The woman, who received medical treatment after leaving the nightclub, is
being treated for post-traumatic stress, according to prosecutors.

Alves' legal team lost a battle to keep the trial behind closed doors, though
media and the public will not be present when the accuser takes the stand.
Her identity has never been revealed.

Alves told Barcelona-based daily La Vanguardia in June that he initially lied
about knowing his accuser because he was afraid his wife would leave him if
he admitted being with another woman.

Spanish courts have repeatedly rejected requests that Alves be released
pending his trial, citing a flight risk to Brazil, which generally does not
extradite its citizens.

In Spain, a plea deal remains possible right until the start of the trial,
meaning Alves could still admit guilt in exchange for a softer penalty.

The accuser's lawyer in November denied she had reached such an agreement,
but admitted "talks" had been held.

Alves won 42 trophies during a highly successful career, including three
Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil.

The height of his career came when playing for Barcelona between 2008 and
2016, where he won 23 trophies.

Alves, who also played for Juventus in Italy and for Seville, was at the time
of his arrest with Mexican club Pumas UNAM, who sacked him soon afterwards.