"It is not true at all" - Memphis Depay's agent hits back at 'fake' news suggesting ex-Barcelona star paid Dani Alves' €1m bail
Memphis Depay's agent Sebastien Ledure has hit back at allegations that the Atletico Madrid player paid for Barcelona legend Dani Alves' €1 million bail. Both players spent some time at Camp Nou together before their careers diverged. It was recently rumored that Depay assisted Alves in getting out of Brians 2 Prison on bail.
Alves was arrested on January 2023 after being charged with the rape of a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub. He was given a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being convicted guilty of rape last month. He then requested to be freed on bond, which the court accepted.
Alves made the €1 million bail payment on Monday despite his financial difficulties. According to Daily Mail, these difficulties include two closed bank accounts and one that was overdrawn. This raised questions about how he would be able to pay for his bail, leading to rumors that Depay paid Alves' bail.
This has now been refuted, as the striker's representative Sebastien Ledure referred to it as "fake news" on Informativos Telecinco, saying: (via Daily Mail):
"This is fake news. It is false news, it is not true at all."
The decision by the court to let Dani Alves off on bail hasn't been taken kindly by the victim's lawyer Ester Garcia, as she slammed the decision on Spanish radio. She told RAC1 (via ESPN):
"I am really dissatisfied with this decision. We will file an appeal because we believe it is not in accordance with the law. Justice is being done for the rich. It is scandalous that they free someone because they can get €1 million in no time."
Depay and Alves shared the pitch 12 times during their time together at Barcelona.
Neymar's dad denies paying Barcelona legend Dani Alves' bail
According to Neymar's father, he didn't provide Dani Alves the €1 million required to be released from prison. Neymar Sr. was allegedly responsible for Alves' bail payment, but he has clarified that this was untrue in an Instagram post.
While acknowledging that he had originally backed Alves, he clarified that his assistance had nothing to do with the legal issues the Barcelona legend was facing. He said (via GOAL):
"As everyone knows, at first, I helped Dani Alves, without any link with any lawsuit. In this second moment, in a different situation from the previous one, in which the Spanish Courts have already decided for the conviction, they are speculating and trying to associate my name and my son’s with a matter that is no longer up to us today."
As part of the terms of his release, Dani Alves also had to turn in his passport to the Spanish government. This is to guarantee that he remains in Spain while his legal matters are resolved.