Rapist Dani Alves returns to a football pitch after being released from prison

The disgraced former Barcelona player Dani Alves was seen participating in a casual football match recently after he payed a €1million bail bond to get out of jail earlier this year

Dani Alves has been seen playing football publicly for the first time since being convicted of rape earlier this year.

The disgraced former Barcelona star, 41, spent 15 months in prison for raping a woman in a nightclub back in 2022. After being found guilty back in February, he was let out of jail just weeks later after paying a €1million (£850,000) bail bond.

Alves has kept a relatively low profile over the last few months since getting out of prison, but a new report from Spanish outlet Marca has details of the former Brazil international's participation in a football game.

It's outlined that Alves was seen playing casually on an artificial pitch in Barcelona. The report goes on to claim that Alves, who was sporting a Boca Juniors jersey, organised the game with a mobile app which allows local people to find games. It's said he was soon recognised by people, some of whom asked for photos.

Alves was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of rape, though the prosecution had asked for a nine-year sentence. He has appealed against the conviction.

He was seen partying on one of his first nights since getting out of jail, while he was also seen enjoying himself in a plush steakhouse, where he spoke about his situation to El Periodico.

“Every Friday I go to court, and that’s it. I don’t have much else to do besides that,” he said, via Mundo Deportivo. “The game I have to play is in the courts. Wherever I go, I survive. I adapt to everything because for me, it is not the place that makes the person, but the person who makes the place.”

Catalonia's High Court of Justice outlined that Alves would have to attend court weekly and surrender his passports in a statement after agreeing to release him on bail. The court said: “The 21st section of the Barcelona Audiencia Provincial Court has agreed by a majority and with one dissenting vote to agree to the conditional release of Daniel Alves da Silva, with the payment of a bail bond of €1million.

“In the event that payment is made and his provisional release is agreed, his Spanish and Brazilian passports will be withdrawn, he will be banned from leaving Spain and he will have to sign on at the court on a weekly basis and appear in court whenever he is ordered to do so.

“Daniel Alves da Silva is also banned from going within 1,000 metres of the complainant's home, place of work or any other place frequented by her, and has been prohibited from communicating with her by any means or procedures until a final judgement is handed down after the appeals against his sentence have been concluded.”