Brazil boss’ prayers for Alves, Robinho victims

LONDON – Brazil coach Dorival Junior said Friday that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims and their families following the recent rape convictions of former national team stars Dani Alves and Robinho.

Robinho (40), began a nine-year prison sentence in his native Brazil on Thursday more than 10 years after he was first accused of raping a woman in Italy. Alves (40), was convicted by a Spanish court of sexually assaulting a woman in Barcelona and was handed a sentence of 4½ years, which he has appealed.

“As the coach of the national team, I have an obligation to speak out,” Dorival said in a news conference ahead of Brazil’s friendly with England yesterday. “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,” he added.