Defender Alves became the oldest Brazilian to play in a World Cup match when he captained the team in a 1-0 loss to Cameroon in Qatar earlier in December 2022.
Top footballer Dani Alves has been dropped by Mexico City club Pumas following his sexual assault allegation and subsequent arrest on Friday.
The Brazilian was arrested and sent to prison in Barcelona after Catalonia’s supreme court confirmed that proceedings for an alleged crime of sexual assault had been opened.
Liga MX side Pumas, also known as Club Universidad Nacional or UNAM, opted to release the player ahead of the expiration of his contract, due to end in July of this year.
“With this decision, the club reiterates its promise not to tolerate acts by any member of our institution that violate the spirit of the institution and its values,” said Leopoldo Silva, the president of the club’s board of directors.
“The Universidad Nacional Club is an institution that promotes respect and integrity and upstanding behaviour on and off the field of its players because they are a role model in society, in Mexico and elsewhere in the world, and we cannot allow the conduct of one person to damage our philosophy that has always been exemplary in the training and development of young athletes in our country.”
Alves was arrested after a woman claimed the footballer had sexually assaulted her in a nightclub in Barcelona on December 30.
The judge ordered that he be detained without bail due to his financial status and high flight risk since he lives in Mexico, according to reports.
In Spain, sexual assault can mean anything from unwanted and unsolicited sexual groping to rape.
The alleged victim told police that the Brazilian footballer and former Barcelona star touched her underwear without her consent. The woman reported the incident to the nightclub’s security staff who then informed the police.
Officers arrived at the scene and took a statement from the woman. She filed an official complaint for sexual assault on January 2.
Before his arrest, Alves denied the allegations, telling Spanish media that while he was at the club in question, he did not meet the victim.
Alves is one of world football’s most successful players, winning major titles with several elite clubs, including Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
He became the oldest Brazilian to play in a World Cup match when he captained the team against Cameroon in Qatar in December.
Liga MX also released a statement prior to Silva’s press conference saying: “Liga MX, in conjunction with Club Universidad Nacional (Pumas), will be pending the case and the legal situation of the player to determine what is appropriate in terms of his participation in the league.”
