Ex-Man City forward Robinho sentenced to nine years in prison for rape
Former Manchester City and Real Madrid player Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison for rape.
A court in Brazil ruled the 40-year-old is to serve his sentence in his homeland despite the offence being carried out in Italy in 2013.
Robinho was found guilty by an Italian court in 2017 for taking part in the gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman.
The former striker has been residing in Brazil and will remain free pending a possible appeal against the sentence.
Robinho was playing for Serie A giants AC Milan at the time of the crime after joining the club from Manchester City in 2010.
The star who earned 100 caps for Brazil, was found guilty after losing an appeal in 2020 before Italy's highest court upheld his sentence in 2022.
An international arrest warrant was later handed out by Italian prosecutors.
The Brazilian still maintains that the sex was 'consensual' despite his looming prison sentence.
Robinho was heralded as Manchester City's first blockbuster signing of their new era when he swapped Real Madrid for the Etihad Stadium in 2008 in a £32.5million deal.
His signing occurred on deadline day and the first day of Sheikh Mansour's tenure as Manchester City owner.
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A switch to AC Milan followed, where he spent the next five years before venturing to China with Guangzhou Evergrande.
Spells with Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro and Turkish side Sivasspor and Istanbul Basaksehir passed before calling time on his career in 2020 with Santos.