A Spanish court has ruled that ex-Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves can be conditionally released from jail after serving about a quarter of his sentence for rape.

The ruling came a day after Alves’ lawyer requested his release because he had already served a quarter of his sentence in pre-trial detention following his arrest.

The 40-year-old Alves, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison last month, havin been found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022, will be released on a €1m bail. He had been held in pre-trial detention since January 2023.