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THE mystery behind who paid for disgraced footballer Dani Alves’ $1million (£850,000) bail has reportedly been revealed. Alves finally managed to stump up enough cash to walk free from prison on Monday, 25, after days of speculation over where the money was going to come from.The moment Alves walked out of jail on Monday 25, with his lawyerCredit: The Mega AgencyAlves returned to court for his agreed weekly visitsCredit: RexAlves’ wife Joana Sanz has reportedly been used to help Alves get the money needed to pay his bailCredit: GettyDespite earning over £45million across his successful career, Alves had his bank accounts frozen when he was sat in his jail cell meaning he couldn’t fund his own release.But Spanish journalist Marisa Martín Blazquez has seemingly spilled the beans on Alves’ saviour – a Brazilian magazine.Blazquez made the shocking revelation when speaking on Fiesta and claims they offered him the entire wad of money in exchange for an exclusive interview.Blazquez claimed: “The magazine, known in Brazil, does great reports on important people in Brazil, but also internationally.read more in Dani Alves”There are a series of requirements that must be met.”An interview would be being conducted as a video report on Alves’ story.”[The payment] would have been an advance as payment for that documentary-type interview that is being done.”One of the requirements Alves seemingly agreed to is to ensure his wife Joana Sanz will also speak to the magazine.Most read in FootballThe couple have been through a very turbulent past two years as Alves publicly admitted to cheating on Sanz with the woman who alleges she was raped.Sanz asked for a divorce as the star faced his rape trial but she did go on to back Alves in court claiming she was with him the night of the accusations.Moment rapist Dani Alves walks FREE from prison just weeks into his 4.5-year sentence after paying €1m bailBut it is currently uncertain what the pair’s status is after Joana accidentally shared a bizarre letter from her rapist ex where he declares his love for her from jail.She also momentarily deactivated her Instagram account just hours after he was granted release on bail.But Spanish media claims Sanz went to see her ex at his home just days after his release.The former Brazilian icon was convicted of raping a woman at a Barcelona nightclub and sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in jail.He has constantly said the sexual encounter was consensual. WHO COULD’VE PAID BAIL?The source of the large sum of cash Alves needed to escape prison has been hotly debated ever since the ex Barcelona ace was allowed to leave on bail.The figure was originally thought to be getting paid for by pal Neymar Jr’s father, said LaVanguardia.Neymar da Silva Santos Sr had been expected to help Alves pay the money to secure his freedom, but he issued a statement denying he would hand over any cash after coming under political pressure in his homeland.He said: “For us, for my family, this matter is over. Full stop.” Neymar’s father helped Alves out during his trial with other payments such as compensating the victim.But Neymar Sr said t’s a “different situation” now because a three judge panel at the Barcelona Provincial Court ruled against Alves at his trial.”With the Spanish court ruling for his conviction, there’s speculation and an attempt to associate my name and my son’s to a matter that is not within our reach any longer,” Neymar’s father said in a family statement.He added that he hopes Alves “can find all the answers he looks for in his own family.”The other person who was heavily rumoured to have assisted Alves was his former team mate at Barcelona, Memphis Depay.The Dutchman’s agent quickly shut down these reports however saying “this is fake news. It is false news, it is not true at all”.Alves and Sanz, before his rape conviction, at the mansion the footballer has been allowed to live in after making bailCredit: Instagram/danialvesThe former Barcelona ace has reportedly agreed to do an interview with a Brazilian magazine in return for the bail money they gave himCredit: AFPHis lawyer Ines Guardiola won an appeal to get Alves out of jail if he met the bail conditionsCredit: GettyALVES’ BAIL CONTROVERSYThe Barcelona court allowed Alves to walk free from his Brians 2 jail despite his recent rape conviction.Alves spent just weeks behind bars but his lawyer Ines Guardiola managed to win a bid to appeal the four-and-a-half year jail sentence.Where he is now living in the comfort of his £4million home in Esplugues de LLobregat – a 25-minute drive west of Barcelona – as his lawyers go through the appeal process, reports say.The bail conditions set by the court say Alves must stay at least 1,000m away from the home of the victim or any other place she frequently goes.He is also banned from ever contacting her and must handover his Brazilian and Spanish passports.The court feared Alves could leave Spain and travel to his native Brazil to try and avoid serving anymore jail time.The 23-year-old victim’s lawyer, Ester Garcia, described Alves’ release as “scandalous”, branding it as “justice for the rich”.As Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also condemned Alves’ release.He said: “The money that Daniel Alves has, the money that someone can lend him, cannot buy the offence that a man does to a woman by committing rape.”It comes as residents of Barcelona – where Alves was once seen as an icon – blasted the court’s ruling to free him on bail.One woman said: “I think it’s shameful and they are showing once again that woman don’t matter, that our rights don’t matter.READ MORE SUN STORIES”If you have money and you are a man, you can do whatever you want and you won’t have to pay.”As a man also gave his view saying “evil” things can’t be forgotten about simply because of money.Alves’ court case
In a trial held in Barcelona in February 2024, Alves denied the allegation of rape against him saying the sexual encounter was completely consensual. 
The three-day trial saw the victim, witnesses, and experts testify.
His accuser told the prosecution she had willingly entered the bathroom with him, but was then forced to stay after wanting to leave.
She told the court Alves allegedly slapped and insulted her before forcing her into having sex.
Alves did confirm he had sex with the woman in the nightclub’s toilet but insisted it was consensual.
Alves was found guilty of rape and sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars.
The court also ordered Alves to pay £130,000 (€150k) in compensation to the victim.
He also faced a nine-and-a-half-year restraining order from the accuser.
The court said in a statement: “The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven.”
Following the sentence, Alves was sent to Brians 2 prison in Barcelona.
Despite filing for divorce in 2023 after the explosive accusations surfaced, Joana did back Alves when she took to the stand.
During her testimony on February 6, 2024, Joana claimed they were not legally divorced and that she had been with Alves on the night of the accusation.
Joana told the court Alves “smelled of alcohol” and “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed” after arriving home from the night out.
But she said she didn’t want to talk to him because of “the state he was in”.
A disgraced Alves publicly apologised to Joana during an interview from his prison cell in 2023.
He told Spanish reporter Mayka Navarro: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.
“I have already done that here in prison, but I have to do it publicly, because the story is public, the offence I caused her is public and she deserves that public apology.”

Neymar’s father publicly denied report she was set to pay for Alves’ bailCredit: AFPThe 23-year-old victim’s lawyer, Ester Garcia, described Alves’ release as ‘scandalous’Credit: The Mega AgencyAlves was convicted of rape but only served a few weeks in jailCredit: Reuters More

DANI Alves spent his first night of freedom ordering burgers to his £4.5million Barcelona mansion after after serving just four weeks of his rape conviction.After finally forking out enough cash for his €1million (£850,000) bail, the disgraced footballer left prison yesterday afternoon apparently craving fast food.Stony-faced footballer Dani Alves was silent as he was released from jail on Monday pending an appeal on his rape convictionCredit: APThe moment burgers were ordered to his home for one of his first post-prison mealsCredit: TelecincoFlowers were also delivered to his £4.5million mansion – prompting speculation that his estranged wife Joana Sanz may be at the propertyCredit: TardeARThe ex Barcelona player leaving the Brians 2 prison with where he spent 14 monthsCredit: GettyOn Monday, Alves, 40, walked out of Brians 2 Prison at around 4:25pm local time alongside his lawyer Ines Guardiola and was driven to his luxury property.The Brazilian, who was convicted of raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022, only served four weeks of his four-and-a-half-year sentence.On March 20, he won his fight to appeal sentence from the comfort of his own home.Local reports said he had left a bible, a fan and a box of books at the jail for inmates to use.read more on dani alvesAlves then arrived at the huge pad, which he still owns with his ex-wife but later lived at with his model partner Joana Sanz before his incarceration in January last year.Stony-faced, he declined to answer any questions and stayed quiet as he walked through his front door.A housekeeper appeared at the door of his bunker mansion in Esplugues de Llobregat, a 25-minute drive west of Barcelona city centre, in the evening to receive hamburgers Alves ordered for dinner.His estranged wife Sanz’s whereabouts remain a mystery and she is yet to update her Instagram after deactivating it last week then mysteriously reactivating it over the weekend before Alves’ release on bail.Most read in FootballDespite filing for divorce in 2023 after the explosive accusations surfaced, Sanz did testify on behalf of Alves in court claiming she was with him the night of the accusations.A bouquet of flowers was delivered to the property soon after Alves returned, sparking speculation it was a gift for the Tenerife-born brunette who might be inside or could soon arrive.The dad-of-two can stay fully hunkered down inside the property until the end of the week if he wishes.Ex-Brazil international footballer Dani Alves is to be released from jail pending an appeal against his rape convictionAs well as paying his €1million bail bond, he has to leave his home to make appearances at court every Friday.He also had to hand in his Spanish and Brazilian passports so he cannot flee Spain.It is not known how he raised his bail bond, although speculation is rife that a group of his former teammates could have put the money together.The convicted rapist was forced to spend another five nights behind bars as he desperately attempted to raise the bail bond despite his £50million career earnings.Alves pictured inside his multi-million pound home in BarcelonaHe used to live at his £4.5million mansion with estranged wife Joana SanzCredit: GettyAlves had only served one month in jail of his four-and-a-half sentenceCredit: AFPAlves, one of the world’s most decorated footballers who played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, was sentenced on February 22 after being convicted of raping a woman, 23, at a Barcelona nightclub in the early hours of December 31, 2022.The jail sentence he received, considered lenient by some critics, was far less than the nine years public prosecutors demanded and the 12 years Alves’ female accuser wanted if he was convicted.Prosecutors have appealed the decision to release him on bail, but the appeal did not affect yesterday’s release.THE TRIAL Alves protested his innocence on February 7 after taking the stand on the last day of his three-day trial, saying the sex he had with his 23-year-old female accuser was consensual and insisting he would never hurt anyone.The victim, who testified behind a screen to protect her identity, said Alves had violently forced her to have sex in a private bathroom of the nightclub despite begging him to let her go, causing her “anguish and terror”, prosecutors said.Alves’ lawyers had argued the victim had been “glued” to the player while dancing at the nightclub, saying there was “sexual tension” between them.But the court said in its 61-page decision that this did not mean “that she consented to anything that might have subsequently happened”.He was due to leave prison on Thursday, but missed the deadline to pay the court his bail.The fee was believed to be being settled by pal Neymar Jr’s father, reported LaVanguardia.But Neymar da Silva Santos Sr quickly shut down these claims by issuing a brutal 11-word statement after refusing to pay.Sources say Santos Sr originally offered help to Alves after his assets were frozen and it is also believed that he also helped to pay the £130,000 compensation package to his victim ordered by the court.The footballer’s difficulties in raising his bail bond were largely due to the fact his accounts in Brazil have been blocked as a result of an ongoing conflict with his ex-wife.His former partner, his ex-agent and the mother of his two children, has previously said that Alves “doesn’t exist” for her and refers to him as having died.Ester Garcia, the lawyer of Alves’ rape victim, attacked the decision to grant him bail last Wednesday.She fumed on RAC1 radio: “I’m very surprised and totally outraged… because it’s like this is justice for the rich.”Garcia added: “It is scandalous that they can free a person who they know can get hold of a million euros in a heartbeat.”She added: “I am very dissatisfied with this court decision. “We will lodge an appeal because we believe it is not in accordance with the law.”Spain’s former Equality Minister Irene Montero said on X, formerly Twitter: “Powerful men can always buy their freedom.“This is a dangerous message of lack of legal protection for all women.“We need the justice system to be feminist and equal for all.”READ MORE SUN STORIESBrazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also condemned Alves’ release.He said last week: “The money that Daniel Alves has, the money that someone can lend him, cannot buy the offence that a man does to a woman by committing rape.”What happened?BRAZILIAN international footballer Dani Alves was accused of raping a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30, 2022.
In a trial held in Barcelona in February 2024, the footballer denied the allegations and said the encounter had been consensual. 
Held at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court, the trial lasted three days and saw the victim, witnesses, and experts testify.
His accuser told the prosecution that she had willingly entered the bathroom with him, but that he forced her to stay after she wanted to leave.
In court she claimed that he was aggressive with her, slapping her and insulting her, and then forced her to have sex with him.
Following the trial, Alves was found guilty of raping the woman.
He was convicted on February 22 and sentenced to four-and-a-half years.
The court also ordered Alves to pay £130K (150,000 euros) in compensation to the victim.
The court said in a statement: “The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven.”
He had previously been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest on January 20, 2023.
Alves’ lawyers immediately appealed his sentence.
On March 20, 2024 – a Barcelona court released Alves on a bail of €1million (£850k) pending an appeal on his conviction.
His defense is seeking his acquittal while the prosecutor wants his prison sentence increased to nine years.
There is no date yet for the new trial at a higher court in Barcelona. It can then go to the Supreme Court in Madrid.
On March 25, 2024 – Alves was released from prison after paying his €1million (£850,000) bail bond.

Alves paid £850,000 bail to secure his release and will also have to hand over his passports while appealing his rape convictionCredit: ReutersAlves did not speak as he walked out of his jailCredit: EPAAlves with his model wife Sanz who filed for divorce last year btu testified on his behalf at courtCredit: Getty More