Brazilian football star Dani Alves appeared in court on Monday, a year after he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub.

Alves, a former Barcelona player, has been detained for more than a year since he was detained for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman on the night of December 31, 2022. He denies any wrongdoing.

Alves’ bail requests were rejected because the court deemed him a flight risk, even though he offered to surrender his passport and wear a tracking device. Brazil does not extradite its citizens convicted in other countries.

State prosecutors want Alves to be sentenced to nine years in prison if convicted, while lawyers representing his accuser are seeking a 12-year sentence.

Dani Alves appeared in court on Monday, one year after he allegedly sexually assaulted a young woman in a Barcelona nightclub.

Under Spain’s 2022 sexual consent law, the crime of sexual assault covers a wide range of crimes, from online harassment to groping and rape, each with different possible penalties. In a rape case, a maximum prison sentence of 15 years is foreseen.

In her statement to state prosecutors, the woman said she met Alves late after midnight at the Sutton nightclub, located in one of Barcelona’s upscale neighborhoods. According to her testimony, he escorted her to a VIP area and a private bathroom where he allegedly slapped her, used derogatory language and raped her.

Alves, whose legal name is Daniel Alves, changed lawyers three times. He initially denied any sexual contact with the woman, then changed his plea months later to admit to sexual intercourse but insisted it was consensual.

The hearing will be held before a panel of three judges, presided over by Judge Isabel Delgado. 28 witnesses will testify between Monday and Tuesday before the court hears Alves along with experts on Wednesday.

Alves was ordered to fork out 150,000 euros to the alleged victim if he was found guilty and ordered to pay compensation.

The hearing is scheduled to last until Wednesday.