Italy will request the extradition of former soccer star Robinho from the Brazilian authorities.
The former international and AC Milan striker was sentenced to nine years in Italy for allegedly raping a woman in a nightclub with five other men in 2013. The highest court in Rome rejected a final appeal by the footballer in January. The public prosecutor’s office in Milan has now sent an international arrest warrant and an extradition request to the Ministry of Justice in Rome. From there, the documents are sent to Brazil, as reported by the Ansa news agency.
However, the 37-year-old will probably not have to serve his sentence in Italy because the South American country is not constitutionally allowed to extradite him. Robinho can only be arrested if he travels abroad and the international arrest warrant applies there.
In October 2020, Robinho wanted to make a comeback at his hometown club FC Santos, but under pressure from sponsors and fans the contract was suspended after just one week and then terminated. Audio recordings with spicy details and explicit statements that the Italian judiciary is said to have used for the verdict were published in Brazil. Robinho denies the allegations.