Why did Dani Alves leave Barca? Brazilian former footballer’s journey from a prisoner to finding God explored

Dani Alves is trending online a few months after the Catalonia’s High Court of Justice overturned the r*pe case against him in March this year. A report by Soy Futbol on October 27, 2025, stated that the former footballer has now started pursuing a new journey as a religious preacher.

According to One Football, Dani Alves was recently spotted at the third youth congress of the Elim Church. He even spoke to all those who attended the event, saying that he is proof of the fact that people need to have faith since God always fulfils the promises of everyone. He continued:

“In the midst of the storm, a messenger of God appeared. He led me to the Church and the path, and today I am here thanks to them. I asked God to take care of my home and the hearts of the people who wouldn’t abandon me. And I promised to serve Him.”

The right-back had played for FC Barcelona. Dani revealed around three years ago that he was leaving the team. Around a month after Alves announced the same on Instagram, he opened up on the reasons for the same during a conversation with The Guardian.

Dani Alves expressed his dissatisfaction with how his exit was handled. Notably, his contract with the team had expired during that period. Alves criticized the fact that a lot of things were hidden from him, despite the fact that he had initially requested not to do the same.

“This club has sinned in recent years. Barcelona don’t care about the people who made history for the club. As a Cule, I would like Barcelona to do things differently. I’m not talking about myself because my situation was another scenario. I am eternally grateful to Xavi and the president for bringing me back”, Alves stated.

He addressed the fact that a lot of things changed in the club, including everyone’s mindset, and that although the team has young people, it has to improve outside the field.

Dani Alves was taken into custody in 2023: Legal issues and other details explained

The Juazeiro native was arrested around two years ago on charges related to the alleged s*xual assault of a woman. While speaking to the Associated Press, the police said that the incident happened in 2022 at a Barcelona-based nightclub.

Dani was taken to court, where he was charged after state prosecutors requested to put Alves in custody without bail. The cops were investigating the case of the victim before Dani’s arrest. However, Alves dismissed the allegations, claiming that he did not know the victim, alongside admitting that he visited the club.

Dani Alves’ legal team approached the Spanish court a month after his arrest. According to the Associated Press, the request was made with certain conditions, including that Alves would report whenever he is summoned and wouldn't leave Spain. Apart from that, the appeal mentioned that he would maintain a distance from the victim and wear a device so that the authorities can track his movements.

On the other hand, the court refused to offer bail on different occasions. A trial started in February 2024. Also known as Daniel “Dani” Alves da Silva, he was sentenced to four and a half years and probation of five years, as per BBC News.

A month after the sentencing, the Spanish court ordered Silva to be released from prison after paying the bail amount. The r*pe conviction was eventually overturned earlier this year. Certain restrictions imposed as part of the legal issue were also removed.

As mentioned, Daniel has embraced Christianity and has been sharing glimpses of the same. One of his Instagram posts in August this year created headlines, which featured Dani Alves showing a Bible in his hand. A lot of jerseys were spotted in the background of the same photo.

“Heyyy; don’t forget what God did in your lives when everything is going well. Don’t forget where he brought you from and the broken evils in your life”, a portion of the caption reads.

Meanwhile, Dani Alves also played for other teams like Bahia and Sevilla, alongside participating in multiple football competitions like FIFA.