FOOTBALLER Dani Alves was released from prison on Monday afternoon after paying a €1 million bail fee.

He has been freed for the duration of an appeal that he’s making after being convicted for the December 2022 rape of a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub.

The Brazilian player had been incarcerated since January 20, 2023 and could have left jail last Wednesday but he needed time to put together the bail fee.

Alves turned to his former teammate Neymar for help, but the player and his family refused to lend him anything.

The Catalunya High Court reported at 11.30am that the bail fee had been received and Alves was freed.

He had to surrender his Spanish and Brazilian passports when he exited the Brians 2 prison at around 4.30pm.

He was greeted with a protest by prison officials, who were demonstrating against the Catalan government over the recent murder of a cook by a knife-wielding prisoner in the Mas d’Enric prison (Tarragona).

Alves made no comment as he left with his lawyer, Ines Guardiola, and a friend.

The release order states that he must appear before the Barcelona Court every Friday and also provide a phone number.

The court has warned him of the ‘express prohibition of leaving Spanish territory’ and has told the Brazilian Consulate about the stipulation in case he wants to get hold of a new passport.

The police have also been informed and Alves has been told that any breach of bail conditions will mean he would be behind bars again.

He was also reminded about the need to observe a restraining order that prohibits him from making any contact with the rape victim.

Alves was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for the rape in February but Ines Guardiola immediately launched an appeal.

At a hearing last week, she asked the court to bail her client as the appeal process could take some time.

Prosecutors opposed the bail application regarding Alves as a flight risk and are also appealing on the grounds of the prison sentence being too lenient.

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