Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez apologized Sunday for his comments about Dani Alves, who was arrested earlier this week following allegations of sexual assault.
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The 39-year-old defender, fired by Mexican club Pumas after his arrest, is being held in custody without bail in Barcelona.
Accusations of sexual assault in Spain can mean anything from unsolicited and the shadow of sexual groping to rape.
While the police refused to give details about the case, a source close to the investigation told AFP that Alves was accused of raping the woman.
Xavi has said that he is in a state of shock after learning of the allegations and the arrest, but also that he “feels bad” for Alves, while not mentioning the alleged victim.
“Yesterday what I wanted about Dani Alves being misunderstood, maybe I wasn’t strong with my words and it’s important that I explain myself,” Xavi said on Sunday after Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Getafe in La Liga.
“This is a very important topic and yesterday I forgot to talk about the victims. It was not an appropriate comment.
“All actions like this should be condemned, whatever Dani or whoever does. I apologize to the victims, to the victims of gender violence and this type of offense.
Alves, who played for Barcelona for eight seasons between 2008-2016, rejoined the Catalans for a short spell last season under former team-mate Xavi.
Catalonia police said they received a complaint on January 2 from a woman accusing Alves of sexual assault.
The alleged sexual assault took place in a popular Barcelona nightclub on the night of December 30-31, according to Spanish media reports.
Alves was a key player in Barcelona’s golden era, winning three Champions League trophies with the club, and six La Liga titles.
The Brazilian player also played for Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus among other teams.