Xavi apologizes for his reaction to Alves: "I ignored the subject of the victim a bit"

Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernandez, He admitted this Sunday after the game against Getafe that he was not lucky in the press conference on Saturday when referring to the case of the former Barça player Daniel Alves, who is in pretrial detention after being denounced for an alleged rape.

“I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding of what he meant. Maybe I wasn't too clear yesterday. I ignored the subject of the victim a bit and we have to condemn all these acts. I want to express my support for the victim and all the victims of this type of violence”, he said as soon as the press conference began after the game, before the journalists' question time began.

In addition, he explained that "an unpleasant day" has not passed after the controversy caused by the fact that on Saturday at no time did he refer to the victim, a 23-year-old girl, and for saying the phrase "I feel bad for Alves"of whom he was a teammate at Barcelona and, later, a coach.

“The misunderstanding hurts me. Maybe I wasn't strong enough in my words." added.

Last Saturday, Hernández assured that he was "in shock" after learning of the imprisonment of the ex-Barcelona soccer player, who was denounced for a rape that allegedly occurred at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona.

“It is difficult to comment on a situation like this. Like everyone else, I am surprised, shocked, in shock. Knowing what Dani is like is a topic that has surprised me. I feel very bad for him. It is a matter of justice and justice will dictate whatever, we cannot go into that", said the coach at the press conference prior to the match against Getafe.

Xavi and Alves met when the Brazilian arrived at the Barcelona club in the summer of 2008. Both coincided in the Catalan team's locker room as players from then until 2015, when Xavi left. In 2022, they became part of Barcelona again at the same time. This time, with Xavi as a coach and Alves as a footballer.

After the judge's decision to impose provisional prison on Alves, his current club, Puma de la UNAM, decided to terminate his contract. The president of the entity explained in a press conference that the termination was "for a justified cause." On January 1, Alves had renewed the contract with Pumas until June 30.

The accusation against Dani Alves

After last Friday a Barcelona judge ordered preventive detention for the Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves, more details of the accusation facing the former Pumas player have been released.

According to Spanish media, the complainant provided as evidence the dress she was wearing the day the events presumably occurred, which apparently contains biological remains that were sent for analysis.

Furthermore, the woman was valued by doctors from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, who performed the tests established by the protocol in cases of rape.

The Catalan policemen have also reviewed the security videos of the premises, where Alves allegedly appears when entering the bathroom with the complainant and remaining there for 15 minutes.

Another factor that weighs against the footballer is his own words, since at first he denied knowing the woman who accuses him, a version that he modified in subsequent statements, in which he indicated that what happened had been consented to.

It also has the testimony of the waiter who supposedly sent the footballer to get him to come to the table where the alleged victim was with her friends. The complainant said that Alves invited them to meet him in the VIP area of ​​the place, through the message transmitted by the waiter.

The woman maintains that Alves forcibly took her to the bathroom located in the private, where he vaginally raped her by using force.

The investigating judge agreed on Friday the admission to prison without bail of Dani Alves, accused of a crime of sexual assault, for allegedly raping a woman in a private bathroom at the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on the night of December 30.

In accordance with the criteria of the Prosecutor's Office and the private accusation exercised by the complainant, the judge decreed unconditional imprisonment for the soccer player, considering that presents a high risk of flight given their economic capacities and that they reside outside of Spain.

In addition, the magistrate reasoned that Brazil does not have extradition agreements with Spainwhich increases the risk that the athlete tries to flee from Spanish justice and take refuge in his country of origin.

By order of the judge, Alves entered the Friday afternoon in the Brians 1 prison in Sant Esteve Sesrovires (Barcelona), where he remains in the income module waiting for a group to be assigned to him in this penitentiary center.

(With information from EFE Y Aristegui News)