How the collapse of Dani Alves’s marriage performed out alongside trial

Disgraced footballer Dani Alves has right this moment been jailed for four-and-a-half years after being convicted of raping a girl at a Spanish nightclub.

The former Barcelona star, who has had a catastrophic fall from grace over the previous two years, learnt his destiny, this morning after being pushed in a police van to the Barcelona court docket the place he was tried earlier this month. 

Throughout his trial, he confronted an acrimonious break up from his spouse, 30-year-old mannequin Joana Sanz. 

After initially supporting her then husband, their relationship rapidly deteriorated, ended with the runway mannequin posting a triumphant selfie within the moments after he was sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars. 

Here, MailOnline seems on the troubled relationship between Alves and Sanz, and the way it rapidly deteriorated because the disgraced footballer discovered himself in increasingly more authorized bother. 

Two days after the assault in the bathroom of Sutton, an upmarket nightclub in Barcelona, which passed off on December 31 2022, Alves flew again to Mexico to play for his membership. 

Joana was at rock-bottom when her husband was arrested in Barcelona after travelling again to the town from Mexico. The mannequin’s mom had died only a week earlier than, and Alves, who was sacked by his membership, had been taken into custody with out bail. 

But Sanz, who married Alves in Formentera off Ibiza in 2017 and gave beginning to their two kids, Daniel and Victoria, publicly stood by her then-husband, posting a photograph of them holding arms with the message ‘Together’ in English.

She wrote within the caption of the submit:  ‘My mom died per week in the past and I’ve barely begun to tackle board that she is not with me for me to be tormented with the scenario of my husband.

‘I’ve misplaced the one two pillars in my life.’

She additionally informed native media on the time that her husband had by no means proven her a scarcity of respect, and that she had seen a number of ladies ‘attempting it on’ with him in entrance of her. 

Whether her public stance of solidarity was matched behind the scenes on the time is a thriller. 

It was beforehand reported that Joanna, who has modelled for the likes of Jimmy Choo, YSL and L’Oriel since she was 17, wasn’t eager on the thought of marriage, and rejected two of Alves’ proposals. 

Following weeks of hypothesis on the state of their marriage, she seemingly confirmed the break up from the imprisoned footballer with a heart-wrenching letter during which she confessed that it might take ‘years to erase his method of me from my reminiscence.’

She headed the letter, written in her native Spanish – ‘in my very own handwriting’ – stated: ‘I’d love for the traces written right here to be about love and happiness, however it isn’t the case.

‘These have been horrible months, not the toughest of my life, as a result of I’ve confronted many storms, however very darkish and painful.

‘The feeling of abandonment and loneliness knocks on my door once more. Thousands of “why’s” with no reply. I selected as a life associate an individual who in my eyes was excellent.

‘He was all the time there after I wanted him essentially the most, he all the time supported me in every little thing, he all the time pushed me to develop, all the time affectionate, attentive… It’s so onerous for me to just accept that this individual may break me right into a thousand items.

‘I believe it should take me years to erase from my reminiscence his method of me, that method he had of me as if I have been essentially the most unbelievable factor on the earth and rattling, sure, I’m unbelievable.’

She went on: ‘I’m unbelievable as a result of I’m hardworking, unbiased, clever, considerate, affectionate, humorous, devoted and humane, and so human that regardless of the injury he has brought about me, I’m nonetheless right here by his facet.

‘I proceed and can proceed to be, however in one other method.

‘I like him and I’ll all the time love him. Whoever says you overlook love is both deceiving themselves or didn’t actually love. But I like myself, I respect myself and I worth myself rather more.

‘Forgiving alleviates, so I preserve the magic and shut a stage of my life that started on 18/5/15. I give thanks for the alternatives and studying that life offers me, irrespective of how troublesome they’re. Here is a powerful lady shifting on to the following stage of her life.’

Her emotional outpouring was seen on the time in Spain as a transparent signal she has determined to finish her relationship with Alves, though she did not identify him within the letter or point out the phrase divorce. 

For months after this letter, revealed in March 2023, the world heard little from the disgraced footballer, save for the a number of failed requests to be launched on bail. 

Judges in Barcelona’s excessive court docket have been anxious that the second he was launched, he escape justice and accountability by flying to Brazil, a nation he’s a citizen of, and avoiding extradition. 

Brazil doesn’t extradite its personal residents when they’re sentenced in different international locations. 

Alves arguably had a historical past of being slippery. Originally, he claimed he had by no means met the lady he sexually assaulted. 

But later, he modified his story, and claimed that whereas he did meet her, his encounter together with her was solely consensual and that no assault passed off. 

This was the primary time he admitted to dishonest on his spouse. He informed Spanish media in June 2023: ‘The solely individual I’ve to apologise to is my spouse, Joana Sanz,’ he stated.

‘The lady I married eight years in the past, to whom I’m nonetheless married, and with whom I hope to proceed dwelling all my life.

‘I’ve already apologised to her personally right here in jail, however I need to do it publicly, as a result of the story is public, the offence is public and he or she deserves a public apology.

‘These have been, are being and can be very onerous days for her. I thank her for every little thing she is doing for me. Her position just isn’t straightforward. I like her and through this time in jail I’ve thought loads about our marriage.

‘I’m sure that I used to be not mistaken to decide on Joana as my spouse. Although maybe she did make a mistake with me.’

Earlier this month, hypothesis in regards to the state of Alves’ and Sanz’s relationship grew uncontrolled, after she was seen accompanying him to the courthouse at the beginning of his three-day rape trial. 

Though it might have initially appeared that she was there to help him, she ended up testifying at his trial, telling the choose on the time that he stunk of alcohol when he arrived again at their residence on the night time of the assault. 

And right this moment, moments after he was sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars, she posted a triumphant selfie to her Instagram followers. 

Despite the uncertainty in her life, with a husband behind bars and two kids to boost on her personal, the mannequin was right this moment seen sat on a woven seat with a glad smile on her face.