Barcelona hero Dani Alves appears to have a new career after appearing as a preacher at a church in Spain. The former Brazil international was handed a four-and-a-half year prison sentence after being found guilty in February 2024 of raping a woman at a Barcelona nightclub. His conviction was overturned on appeal in March.
The Catalonia’s High Court of Justice appeals division ruled unanimously that Alves’ conviction was unsafe due to what it described as a “series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions over the facts, the judicial assessment and their consequences”. Alves had been released from prison pending the appeal in March 2024 after paying bail of £854,000.
According to Goal, Alves recently addressed parishioners at the Elim Girona Church, where he talked about faith and redemption.
In footage shared on social media, the 42-year-old was seen speaking into a microphone as he addressed a packed congregation.
And he told parishioners: “You have to take the things of God seriously and you have to have faith. I am proof of that. I made a pact with God.”
He continued: “In the midst of turbulence, in the midst of a storm, there is always a messenger of God. And that messenger, in the worst moment of my life, picked me up, took me to the church for the journey. And today I am on the journey thanks to them.”
Alves, who has shared Christian bible verses on his Instagram page, also led prayers and sang hymns.
The 126-time capped international has reportedly been an active member of the church since his release and has even performed with a guitar during services.
Alves secured a move to Europe in July 2002 when he joined Sevilla on loan from Brazilian club Esporte Clube Bahia. He made the move permanent at the start of 2003 before signing for Barcelona in 2008.
Alves won six La Liga titles and lifted both the Champions League and Club World Cup trophies on three occasions during his spell with Barcelona. He departed the Nou Camp to sign for Juventus on a free transfer in 2016, before going on to join Paris Saint-Germain a year later.
The former right-back won two Ligue 1 titles during his time in France before returning to his homeland with Sao Paulo in 2019.
He had a second stint with Barcelona between November 2021 and July 2022 before retiring at the start of 2023 following a brief stint with UNAM Pumas in Mexico.