Brazil coach Dorival offers support to victims of Alves, Robinho
Brazil coach Dorival Junior offered his support to the victims and their families following the rape convictions of Dani Alves and Robinho.
Both Alves and Robinho played for the Brazilian national team.
Alves, 40, received 4½ years of jail sentence by the Spanish court after sexually assaulting a woman in Barcelona.
Robinho, 40, began his nine-year prison sentence in Brazil more than 10 years after raping a woman in Italy.
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Dorival offers support to victims
Dorival had the opportunity to address the sensitive issue during his news conference ahead of Brazil’s friendly with England.
“As the coach of the national team, I have an obligation to speak out,” Dorival said. “First, I think it’s a very delicate situation. Robinho was my player [at Santos in 2010], a fantastic person, such a professional … I didn’t have the opportunity to work with Daniel [Alves], but we all know his story within football. It’s a difficult time for us to express any and all situations.
“First, I think about the families of the people involved. Especially the victims involved in these episodes, which happen in our country and around the world and which, suddenly, are not addressed. They are hushed up because people don’t have a voice. If there was a type of crime that was proven, it must be penalized.
“As much as it hurts my heart to talk about this, about a person with whom I had an exceptional relationship, I care much more for the victims, for the families, as well as for their families too. I know how painful it must have been for each of them to go through a moment like this.”
“I don’t wish this on anyone, I feel for everything they will go through from then on in their lives, everyone who is involved, what I can do is help them with prayers, nothing more.”
Alves, Robinho’s legacy in LaLiga, Brazil now tainted
Barcelona officially removed Alves from its designation as a legendary player.
Alves helped Barca win three Champions Leagues.
Meanwhile, Robinho played 137 matches for Real Madrid from 2005 to 2008.
