One of Real Madrid's stars has been dealt a fresh blow off the pitch. Spanish reports have revealed his conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol, just as he prepares to face the courts in another case that could cost him two and a half years in prison.
The player in question is defender Raúl Asencio, who appears in court next Thursday in his hometown on the island of Gran Canaria. The case dates back to the summer of 2023, when a scandalous video emerged of two girls, one of whom was a minor at the time, during a holiday taken by several Real Madrid academy players at a beach club.
Asencio did not take part in filming the video and did not appear in it. The prosecution instead accuses him of showing it to a third person, which triggered an investigation into a breach of privacy.
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Prosecutors had earlier called for the Real Madrid defender to be jailed for two years, six months and one day. The case could yet turn in the player's favour, though. Spanish law in such cases allows criminal liability to be dropped if the two victims formally accept his apology, with the prosecution then withdrawing its charges.
Three of his former Real Madrid academy teammates face no such escape route. The case continues against Ferran Ruiz, Andrés García and Juan Rodríguez over accusations different from those levelled at Asencio, and which cannot be dropped on the basis of a pardon from the victims.
Asencio's troubles do not end there. The newspaper "Marca" revealed that police recently convicted the player for drink-driving in the south of Gran Canaria after stopping him on 16 August while he was behind the wheel.
The test returned a reading of 0.90 mg/litre of alcohol, close to four times the maximum permitted limit. The ruling landed him a 14,400-euro fine and an eight-month driving ban.
Asencio now finds himself staring down a new legal crisis while the older case, the one that could keep him off the pitch for two and a half years, remains unresolved. Big question marks hang over the Real Madrid defender's future away from football.