Football player Dani Alves detained in Spain for alleged sexual assault

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Police detained Brazilian football player Davi Alves in Barcelona on Friday as part of a sexual assault investigation, according to Spanish media.

Alves went to make a declaration in a Barcelona police station earlier in the morning, but police detained and took him to court in a police vehicle, according to the Spanish daily El Pais.

At the court, he will give testimony related to the accusation of a 23-year-old woman who said the 39-year-old athlete molested her in a Barcelona nightclub on Dec. 30.

The judge could rule to take away his passport or put him in pre-trial detention.

Alves currently lives in Mexico City and is supposed to play for his team there this weekend, according to El Pais.

In a video statement sent to Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, he denied the charges.

“I’m so sorry, but I don’t know who this girl is; I’ve never seen her in my life. In all these years, I’ve never invaded someone’s space, and especially not a woman’s. I’ve had enough because it’s causing a lot of pain, especially to my loved ones, because they know who I am,” he said.

His wife, the Spanish model Joana Sanz, has voiced her support for her husband on social media.