FC Barcelona legend Dani Alves has been charged with sexual assault after an incident that allegedly took place in a Barcelona nightclub over the recent holidays.

The club legend was back in town to enjoy the New Year's Eve celebrations and managed to land himself in a legal bind. Alves is currently based in Mexico where he plays for Pumas UNAM in Liga MX. He joined the club after ending his second stint with Barcelona, but still returns to the Catalan capital where he lived for many years.

According to a report by Spanish publication Marca, a woman has filed a case against the footballer claiming that he touched her "under her underwear" without consent on the night of December 30 to 31. The alleged assault took place at the popular Sutton nightclub in Barcelona.

The woman and her friends immediately informed security and the complaint was escalated to Barcelona's autonomous police force called Mossos d'Esquadra.

The police acted quickly and officers arrived at the nightclub to gather witness statements. On January 2, the woman formally filed the complaint and it appears as though she has no intention of backing down.

A full investigation is in progress, and a judicial procedure will likely be opened. This means that Alves may be summoned to appear in court to defend himself against the allegations.

The footballer has since flown back to Mexico to rejoin the Pumas squad, and it remains to be seen if he will be required to physically fly back to Barcelona to face the charges. There is a possibility that he may also be allowed to appear remotely.

Pumas UNAM has not taken any action as of yet. It is customary for football clubs to temporarily suspend players who are facing serious accusations of sexual assault. However, they may also opt to allow him to play and treat him as innocent until proven guilty.

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