Dani Alves ‘faces £4million claim from former club UNAM Pumas for breach of contract’ after being charged with rape at a nightclub

DANI Alves could be forced to pay his former club UNAM Pumas £4m in damages over an alleged breach of contract.

The Brazilian soccer ace was accused of raping a woman in the toilet of a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30.

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At the time of his arrest, Alves was under contract with Mexican football club UNAM Pumas – with whom he signed in July 2022.

Now the 36-year-old is said to owe the club £4million for breaching his contract.

Brazilian publication UOL Sport have revealed the content of an email allegedly demanding “financial compensation” from Alves.

An excerpt from the email reads: “Due to the player’s very serious offences, he is obliged to reimburse the club for the payment of the $5 million (£4.1 million) in compensation provided.”

Alves was jailed last month by a judge investigating claims of an attack on Barcelona’s swanky Sutton venue in the early hours of December 31.

He initially denied any contact with his accuser but reportedly changed his story and claimed they had consensual sex.

He denies wrongdoing.

The star’s new lawyer reportedly told a Spanish TV journalist his original version of events was to “protect his wife” and cover up his “infidelity”.

Top lawyer Cristobal Martell – who also represented Lionel Messi in his tax fraud case – appealed against the decision to remand him.

Alves vowed not to leave Spain and to stay 500 meters from his accuser’s home and work, legal papers show.

He also offered to report to the police daily and wear a 24-hour tracking device when released from prison.

Earlier, the judge classified ex-Barcelona FC star Alves as a risk of flight.

And today new details of the verdict were revealed by the newspaper El Periodico.

Judge Anna Marín ruled that there was a case to answer after questioning the accuser and suspect in Court No. 15 in Barcelona on January 20, she reported.

According to the newspaper, there is “much more than enough evidence” to assume that it was a case of rape, “and that the suspect was the perpetrator”.

The judge also stressed that the investigation is ongoing and nothing has been proven, the newspaper reported.

Mr Martell, Alves’ lawyer, slammed the judge in his 24-page submission.

He claimed the Mossos d’Esquadra police investigation was “biased” and criticized Judge Marín for accepting it “uncritically and carelessly”.

The lawyer also claims video surveillance from the club’s VIP room contradicts the alleged victim’s account.

He said it showed the woman and her friends were in a “celebratory” mood and not “intimidated,” and she claimed.

Footage reportedly shows Alves leading the woman to the toilets, where they spent 16 minutes out of sight – not 47 seconds as previously reported on Spanish television.

If it goes to court, Alves could wait more than a year before the case is heard.

Previously, it emerged that the woman claimed that Alves hit her and raped her in the bathroom.

She is also said to have described seeing the footballer’s intimate tattoo while he was partially undressed.

The tearful woman is said to have immediately told her friends what happened, and bouncers then alerted the police.

Alves flew to Barcelona after agreeing to be questioned about the allegations last month.

Mexican club Pumas canceled his contract after being taken into custody.

Alves’ model wife Joanna Sanz, 29, spoke of her heartbreak following his arrest, which came days after her mother’s death.

She said, “I lost the only two pillars in my life.”

She has since deleted some of her husband’s pictures from her social media profiles.

Alves is the most successful player in football history with 43 career trophies, including three Champions League titles, two Copa Americas and an Olympic gold medal.

In December, aged 39, he became Brazil’s oldest player at a World Cup.

He reportedly made his debut for a prison football team last month.

A source told La Vanguardia “the expectation was high” as many inmates idolize the former Barca right away.

And oddly enough, he’s reportedly sharing a cell with a Brazilian named Coutinho – although it’s not his national team-mate.

The Sun Online has reached out to UNAM Pumas for comment.

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