DANI Alves has been caught signing Brazilian football shirts behind bars in exchange for cigarettes, it was alleged.

The Brazilian ace has been been in prison since January 20 after he was accused of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub last year.

The 39-year-old has now spent more than two months in custody at Brians 2 prison, Spain, where he has struggled in the confines.

According to Spanish publication El Caso, Alves was involved in a cigarette sale scheme at the penal institution.

The news agency alleged football shirts were smuggled into the prison by families of the detainees, which were then autographed by the "famous" inmates.

The signed jerseys are subsequently returned to the original owners in exchange for various products, including cigarettes.

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A prison official claimed large amounts of Barcelona shirts had arrived into the penitentiary, it was reported.

Alves has kept a low profile since being behind bars and has even played friendly football matches with inmates.

However, if the claims of the cigarette scandal were found to be true it could further complicate the footie star's future.

According to Brazilian news agency Metropoles, if Alves was proven to benefit from the scheme he could face new accusations from the Spanish court.

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The new allegations come as the Brazilian defender was locked up in January by a judge investigating claims of an assault at Barcelona's swanky Sutton venue in the early hours of December 31.

He initially denied any contact with his accuser, but is said to have changed his story and claimed they had consensual sex.

He denies wrongdoing.

The star's new lawyer reportedly told a Spanish TV journalist his initial version of events was to "protect his wife" and cover up his "infidelity".

Top attorney Cristobal Martell – who also represented Lionel Messi in his tax fraud case – filed an appeal against the decision to remand him in custody.

Alves promised not to leave Spain and to stay 500 metres away from his accuser's home and work, legal papers show.

He also offered to report to police daily and wear a tracking device 24 hours a day if he is let out of jail.

Previously the judge had deemed ex-Barcelona FC star Alves a flight risk.

And new details of the ruling were revealed by the newspaper El Periodico.

Magistrate Anna Marín decided there was case to answer after questioning the accuser and suspect at Barcelona's court number 15 on January 20, it reported.

According to the paper, she said "there are much more than enough indications" to consider that there was a rape "and that the suspect was the perpetrator of it".

The magistrate also stressed the investigation is ongoing and nothing is proved, the paper reported.

Mr Martell, Alves' lawyer, slammed the magistrate in his 24-page submission.

He claimed the investigation by the Mossos d'Esquadra police was "biased" and criticised Judge Marín for accepting it in an "uncritical and careless way".

The lawyer also claims CCTV from the club's VIP room contradicts the alleged victim's account.

He said it shows the woman and her friends were in "festive" mood and not "intimidated" and she claimed.

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The footage allegedly shows Alves leading the woman to the toilets where they spent 16 minutes out of view – not 47 seconds as previously reported on Spanish TV.

If it goes to trial, Alves could wait more than a year for the case to be heard.

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