Former Brazilian football star Dani Alves went on trial Monday in Barcelona accused of raping a woman in a local nightclub.
Prosecutors are demanding a nine-year prison sentence, followed by 10 years of conditional liberty. They are also recommending he pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation to the woman.
The 40-year-old former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain defender was driven to court in a police van from a prison near the Catalan capital, where he has been held on remand since his arrest in January 2023.
The trial got underway at around 10:30 am (0930 GMT).
Dozens of journalists were on hand outside the court to cover the start of the trial, which is expected to finish on Wednesday with a verdict likely to come several weeks later.
Alves was arrested after a young woman accused him of raping her in a bathroom of the VIP area of the upmarket Sutton nightclub in Barcelona in the early hours of December 31, 2022.
