Former Manchester City and Real Madrid Star Robinho to Serve Nine-Year Prison Sentence for 2017 Gang Rape in Italy

In a shocking turn of events, Brazilian football star Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison for his involvement in a gang rpe case that occurred in Italy in 2017. The former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward was found guilty by an Italian court in 2017 for his role in the rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman.

Robinho, 40, was convicted of the crime while playing for AC Milan in 2013. Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming that the sexual encounter was consensual, the Italian court upheld his sentence in 2022. Brazil does not extradite its nationals, which led Italian authorities to seek his imprisonment in his home country.

A majority of judges in Brazil's Superior Court ruled on Wednesday to uphold the conviction, with 9 out of 15 judges voting in favor of the decision. The court has the authority to change its decision, and Robinho's lawyer has requested a retrial in Brazil on the grounds of national sovereignty.

Robinho, who has 100 caps for the Brazilian national team and won two La Liga titles with Real Madrid, joined Manchester City in 2008 for a then-British record fee of £32.5 million. After two seasons with City, he moved to AC Milan for five years before playing for Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande and returning to Brazil with Atlético Mineiro.

The case has garnered significant attention due to Robinho's high-profile status as a professional footballer. The victim was awarded €60,000 in compensation for her suffering. The former star's passport was surrendered to Brazilian authorities in March 2023.

Robinho has the right to appeal the decision to the country's Supreme Court. However, if the sentence is upheld, he will serve his prison term in Brazil.