Xavi, the FC Barcelona coach, apologized on Sunday January 22 for the statements he had made a few hours earlier.
“I am in shock.
Justice will decide whatever it is.
I feel very bad for him.
I am shocked,” said the FC Barcelona coach, speaking of his former teammate, Brazilian Dani Alves, in pre-trial detention since January 19 on suspicion of rape.
Xavi was forced to backpedal to justify himself without giving the impression of supporting Alves.
“What I wanted to say about Dani Alves was misinterpreted.
Maybe I was not specific enough with my words and it is important that I explain myself,” the Catalan coach said during his press conference after Barça's 1-0 victory over Getafe on Sunday. .
“I forgot to mention the victims”
“It's a very delicate subject and yesterday (Saturday) I forgot to mention the victims.
We must condemn all these types of acts, whether it was Dani or someone else who committed them.
I apologize to the victim, to the victims of gender-based violence and this type of aggression.
It was not an appropriate comment.
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Dani Alves has been locked up in Brians 1 prison in Barcelona since January 19.
The former Barca and PSG full-back has been charged with an alleged offense of sexual assault which led to his being remanded in custody without bail on the orders of the head of Barcelona's 15th Investigative Court.
His victim accuses him of having assaulted her in the toilets of a "Sutton" nightclub in Barcelona on the night of December 30 to 31.
She explains that the former Pumas player, whose contract in Mexico was terminated on Friday, allegedly raped her and forced her to perform oral sex.
The player went back on his first statements and would have admitted sexual relations with the young woman of 23 years, but denies the rape.
Dani Alves faces a sentence of between 4 and 12 years in prison if the assault is reconsidered as "vaginal, anal or oral penetration" according to Spanish law.