Former Manchester City and AC Milan footballer Robinho was arrested at his home in Brazil on Thursday. This comes after a years-long legal battle regarding his conviction for gang rape in Italy.
Robinho was found guilty in 2017 of assaulting a young Albanian woman in a Milan nightclub in 2013. He has consistently maintained his innocence, calling the encounter consensual and accusing the Italian justice system of racism.
However, a key piece of evidence emerged in the form of leaked audio recordings. In them, Robinho appears to discuss the incident with friends in a way that contradicts his claims of innocence.
Despite his appeals, the Brazilian Supreme Court recently sided with Italy’s request for Robinho to serve his nine-year sentence in his home country. This is a significant development as Brazil typically doesn’t extradite its citizens.
Robinho’s once-celebrated career is now overshadowed by this conviction. He attempted a return to his boyhood club Santos in 2020, but the deal collapsed after sponsor backlash.
The arrest marks a turning point in the saga. Robinho now faces the possibility of spending years behind bars.
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