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Former Brazil international Dani Alves has returned €150,000 to the father of Neymar Jr. which was given to him to help with his defence against a sexual assault charge, for which he was later convicted. Alves' lawyer, Inés Guardiola, confirmed to French news agency AFP on Thursday that the ex-Barcelona player, who is on bail pending an appeal against the rape conviction, sent the money back last week. Alves, 40, was sentenced to 4½ years in prison on Feb. 22 after Catalonia's top court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022. However, he was released from jail on March 25 after making the €1 million ($1.08m) bail payment required as he awaits the result of his appeal. Reports in March had also claimed Neymar Sr. helped Alves post the €1m bail, but he denied that was the case, saying the "situation was different" now that there was a conviction. Alves played alongside Neymar Jr. at Barça, as well as with the Brazil national team and for a short while at Paris Saint-Germain. After spending 14 months in prison pending his trial, Alves was freed on bail just one month after his sentencing pending an appeal. To secure his release, in addition to the bail payment, he had to hand in his Brazilian and Spanish passports. He is also prohibited from leaving the country and subject to weekly check-ins at the courthouse. The victim's legal team is fighting against release, but on Wednesday a Barcelona court rejected an appeal to overturn the bail that was granted to the ex-footballer. Alves' lawyers are seeking his acquittal while prosecutors want his prison sentence increased to nine years. The victim's lawyer wants him jailed for 12 years. No date has been set for the appeal trial.
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