Former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward Robinho has been ordered to serve a nine-year prison sentence in his native Brazil after a court ruling upheld his conviction for his involvement in the gang rape of a woman in 2013.
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The 40-year-old footballer, whose full name is Robson de Souza, was found guilty by an Italian court in 2017 of participating in the assault on a 22-year-old Albanian woman.
Despite living in Brazil, which typically does not extradite its citizens, a court in Brasilia decided that Robinho must serve his sentence following a request from Italy.
While Robinho remains free pending a potential appeal, the judges’ decision marks a significant development in the long-running legal saga. His lawyers have indicated that they may contest the ruling.
The former Brazil international, boasting 100 caps for his country, was playing for AC Milan at the time of the incident
Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming that the sexual encounter was consensual, Robinho’s appeals in Italian courts were unsuccessful, culminating in the confirmation of his sentence in 2022.
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Italian authorities subsequently issued an international arrest warrant for Robinho, prompting concerns about his legal status as he continued to reside in Brazil.
However, the latest ruling clarifies that he must serve his sentence within the Brazilian jurisdiction.
Robinho’s football career, once glittering with success at top European clubs, has been overshadowed by the legal controversy
. With stints at powerhouse teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City, where he won two La Liga titles and made headlines with a high-profile transfer, his fall from grace has been stark.
Following his time in Europe, Robinho ventured to China and later returned to Brazil to continue playing for domestic clubs.
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