Ex-Real Madrid & Man City star Robinho ordered to serve nine-year prison sentence for rape in Brazil

In 2017, the former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester City star was convicted of rape in Italy but had already travelled to his homeland at the time. A request to have him extradited to Italy was rejected but a tribunal has now ruled that he can serve out his sentence in Brazil.

Eight of the 10 votes cast in the Superior Tribunal of Justice (STJ) case were in favour of Robinho's arrest and serving of the sentence on home soil, but the 40-year-old's defence lawyers can appeal against the ruling to the STJ and Federal Supreme Court (STF).

Robinho recently claimed his nine-year prison sentence is a result of racism in Italy, telling Record TV: "I was convicted in Italy unjustly for something that did not happen and I have all the evidence to show that. I played four years in Italy and I got tired of seeing stories of racism. Unfortunately it happens today. That happened in 2013 and today we are in 2024, which leads me to believe that the same people who do nothing against racism are the same ones who they condemned at my trial. If my trial were for a white person, it would be totally different, without a doubt."

The ex-Santos star will likely appeal against the court's ruling that he will have to serve the nine-year sentence.