Ex-Real Madrid, Man City star Robinho to serve 9-year rape sentence

A Brazilian court has upheld the ruling that former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward Robinho must serve a nine-year prison sentence for rape in his home country of Brazil.

The 40-year-old was convicted by an Italian court in 2017 for his involvement in the gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman in 2013. Despite living in Brazil, which does not typically extradite its citizens, judges in Brasilia decided on Wednesday that Robinho should serve his sentence following a request from Italy.

While he remains free pending a potential appeal, his lawyers confirmed, Robinho’s legal troubles stem from his time playing for AC Milan, during which he was found guilty in Italy. His appeal in 2020 was unsuccessful, and Italy’s highest court upheld his sentence in 2022, leading to the issuance of an international arrest warrant.

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In a recent interview with a Brazilian network, the former Brazil international, capped 100 times for his country, claimed the encounter was consensual.

Robinho, known for his stints with Real Madrid and Manchester City, where he won two La Liga titles and made headlines with a then-British record transfer fee of £32.5m in 2008, also had spells with AC Milan, Guangzhou Evergrande in China, and Atletico Mineiro in Brazil.