Dani Alves, a defender for Brazil, was detained on Friday in Spain on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December, according to police.

According to a representative of Catalonia's regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, the 39-year-old footballer was brought to a police station in Barcelona where he was "taken into prison" and will now be interrogated by a court.

On January 2, a lady complained to the Catalan police that Alves had touched her impermissibly, according to the authorities.

According to Spanish media accounts, the alleged sexual assault happened throughout the night of December 30 and 31 at a well-known Barcelona nightclub.

According to the reports, the footballer was charged with placing his hands down the woman's trousers.

Alves, 39, has acknowledged that he was there at the moment but has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this month, he told the private Spanish television station Antena 3 that he had "never seen" the woman before.

"I was there, at that location, having fun with more people. I like dancing, as everyone knows. having fun without encroaching on other people's privacy," the former Barcelona and Juventus player remarked.

Alves, who now represents Pumas UNAM of Mexico, was on vacation in Barcelona after representing Brazil in the World Cup in Qatar.

As a consequence of a complaint made by a woman against a football player, a court in Barcelona said earlier this month that it had begun an investigation into "an alleged crime of sexual assault."

AFP