Dani Alves’ brother has blasted an Internet prankster whose fake claims the footballer had killed himself in prison went viral overnight.
The footballer’s press advisor, Acaz Felleger said they were considering legal action against Rio de Janeiro-based Paulo Albuquerque over his social media post.
Albuquerque, who describes himself on X, formerly Twitter, as a lover of football, beer, and a beautiful woman, wrote last night: ‘The information I’m receiving is that Daniel Alves has killed himself.’
He added in a second post eight hours later, after his initial message to his 12,600 followers had gone viral on social media: ‘People, for the love of God, what sort of repercussion is this?
‘I was referring to my cousin Danielzinho from the city of Nova Iguacu who had disappeared, but has now been found alive.’
Alves’ brother Ney, who travelled to Barcelona last month to see the footballer tried for rape ahead of his conviction and four-and-a-half-year jail sentence, said in a furious Instagram Live response:
‘How cruel human beings can be!’
Showing the Brazil international’s family still believes he is innocent despite three judges finding him guilty of forcing himself on a 23-year-old woman in a toilet at upmarket Barcelona nightclub Sutton in the early hours of December 30, 2022, he added: ‘He’s already been convicted on the word of a woman who entered a men’s toilet to do what only he and her know.
‘He’s already been convicted. Is that not enough?
‘Now the madness is people want him dead. They want to see my brother dead. How cruel is that!
‘My dad is more than 70 years old and my mum is more than 60. ‘Do people like this not have a family?’
Journalist Mr Felleger, who represents Dani Alves, also denied the fake claims Alves had committed suicide and said on a Brazilian radio station that legal action was being considered against the person who sparked the viral rumour.
He said: ‘The information was posted on X without any basis whatsoever.
I spoke with Dani’s lawyer and this irresponsible person should be sued.’
Father-of-two Alves, 40, was handed his prison sentence on February 22 after being driven to the Barcelona court where he was tried over three days at the start of last month.
He had been held in Brians 2 Prison near the Catalan capital for more than a year on remand before his trial.
Alves, whose lawyer has already confirmed she will appeal his rape conviction and sentence, protested his innocence on February 7 after taking the stand on the last day of his three-day trial at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial court.
He claimed he had consensual sex with his 23-year-old female accuser and had not made her do anything.
The woman he was found guilty of raping insisted the footballer had forced himself on her after hitting her when she gave her evidence in court behind a screen.
State prosecutors confirmed at his trial they wanted him jailed for nine years on conviction and a lawyer acting for his victim demanded a 12-year sentence.
They are also set to appeal in the hope higher court judges will hand Alves a stiffer punishment.
