A Spanish court has overturned Dani Alves’ conviction of rape on appeal.
The top court in Spain's Catalonia region said they had found "inconsistencies and contradictions" in the original ruling.
Alves, the former Barcelona and Brazil star, was found guilty in February 2024 of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison, but was released in March 2024 on a €1m bail while waiting for his appeal to be heard.
Alves denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial, claiming sex with the woman was consensual. Alves may now leave the country after the court lifted a travel ban.
The judges in the appeals court ruled unanimously to overturn his conviction and said the testimony of the alleged victim lacked reliability.
