Spanish state prosecutors said Wednesday that they plan to appeal the recent acquittal of soccer player Dani Alves on rape charges, opening the door to the case reaching the country’s Supreme Court.

The decision came days after an appeals court overturned a conviction for Alves handed down by a lower court following a trial last year in Barcelona.

Alves, a former Brazil and Barcelona defender, spent 14 months in jail after being arrested in December 2022 for allegedly having raped a young woman in the bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub.

He denied any wrongdoing.

Alves was initially found guilty in February 2024 and sentenced to four years, six months in prison.

Now the case can reach a third court if the Supreme Court in Madrid agrees to review the decision to acquit him.