The depressing silence in Brazilian football over the rape convictions of its former stars Dani Alves and Robinho has come to an end. National coach Dorival Junior and the national association CBF castigated the crimes of the former Copa America winners in statements and expressed their sympathy and solidarity with the victims.
Before the South Americans’ international match against hosts England on Saturday in London (8 p.m. live on DAZN), Dorival Junior clearly differentiated himself from his former player Robinho: “If a crime is proven, he has to – even if it hurts me because of our special relationship – will be punished,” said the coach about his long-time protégé at FC Santos.
The CBF and the Seleção Technical Committee underlined their sympathy for the victims in a press release. The actions of Dani Alves and Robinho were described as “brutal crimes” in the statement.
Prison sentences of several years
The two former stars were sentenced to several years in prison for rape. Dani Alves has been in prison in his former adopted home of Spain for several months. Robinho is due to serve the sentence imposed by an Italian court in his home country. Last Thursday, Brazilian police arrested the former AC Milan star striker in Santos.
Players and members of the Brazilian national team and CBF circles had not commented on the two cases for a long time. Until recently, the lack of understanding had grown in the country of the five-time world champion. The national players Ary Borges and Kerolin were among the harshest critics.
Seleção defender Danilo, meanwhile, did not directly address the responsibility of his former colleagues in London. Brazil’s 32-year-old reserve captain called for young players to be made aware of the situation of women.
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The defender from Italy’s record champions Juventus Turin demanded that a perceived lack of education among young professionals be eliminated. Associations and clubs need to “raise the awareness of young footballers so that they can empathically put themselves in the shoes of women,” said Danilo. He did not make an immediate assessment of Dani Alves and Robinho’s crimes.
