Barcelona legend Dani Alves being investigated in sexual assault case - Reports

Barcelona police are investigating a reported sexual assault that allegedly took place at a nightclub and involved Brazilian footballer Dani Alves. According to Spanish newspaper ABC Espana (via The Sun), the alleged victim identified Alves as the person responsible at the scene.

Alves, who is 39 years old and had recently played for Brazil in the World Cup, has denied any wrongdoing. The Barcelona legend has not yet been questioned by detectives and the woman involved in the incident has not formally filed a complaint with the police.

It has been reported that a sexual assault occurred at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona, a popular venue among international celebrities. According to ABC Espana, the incident took place in the early hours of Friday morning, however, police state that it occurred at around 5 am on Saturday morning.

The woman notified her friends and security staff after a man allegedly placed his hand inside her underwear. The nightclub followed protocol for handling sexual assault and harassment by taking the woman to a "safe space" and contacting the police.

ABC Espana stated (as quoted by The Sun):

“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 Catalonia's regional police Mossos d’Esquadra stated:

“We are investigating an alleged sexual assault at a nightclub in Barcelona said to have occurred in the early hours of Saturday. 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."

The spokesperson declined to confirm whether legend Dani Alves had been identified by the woman as the perpetrator.

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Barcelona draw with rivals Espanyol in heated La Liga clash

Barca were unable to claim victory in the Spanish title race on Saturday, resulting in a 1-1 draw against rivals Espanyol in a heated Catalan derby. The draw caused the Blaugrana to lose the two-point advantage it had gained before the World Cup break.

Joselu scored a penalty for Espanyol, equalizing after Marcos Alonso's goal for Barcelona. The game ended with both teams down to 10 players, as Jordi Alba and Vinicius Souza were ejected by referee Mateu Lahoz.

The match was contentious from the start, as Barca's decision to start Robert Lewandowski, who had been banned but had his punishment suspended, upset Espanyol. The team's president and directors even boycotted the game in protest.