Why Former Brazilian Legend Robinho Is In Prison?

Robinho enjoyed a pretty notable career with Brazil and many different clubs, as he played for the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Manchester City in a decorated career. He also made 100 appearances for Brazil, winning the Copa America title once with them and also winning league titles with Real Madrid and AC Milan. However, the Robinho rape sentence means that the Brazilian footballer is currently in prison and has become one of the footballers in jail in history.

Why Is Robinho Serving Out Prison Sentence?

Robinho played for AC Milan from 2010 to 2015, after joining them following a relatively short stint with Man City. However, Robinho got into some trouble in 2017 after an Italian court was able to prove that Robinho had taken part in a group sexual assault of an Albanian woman in January 2013, when he played for the Rossoneri. The Robinho prison sentence was given by the Italian court, to which he was sentenced to nine years in prison alongside the five other males as part of the conviction.

At that time, the Robinho prison sentence could not be immediately implemented because he was in Brazil and could not be extradited to Italy. The Brazilian footballer tried to get the prison sentence annulled multiple times, but only to have multiple appeals rejected as he wasn't able to prove his innocence in this case. However, in 2024, it was agreed that the Robinho prison sentence would be served out in Brazil because of an agreement between the Italian government and the Brazilian government.

As a result, Robinho is currently among the footballers in jail and serving out his sentence at the P2 prison in the Tremembe region of Brazil. In a recent interview about how it feels to be among the footballers in jail, Robinho stated: “Here the guards are in charge and we, the inmates, just obey. I've never received any special treatment. Visits are on Saturdays or Sundays. When my wife doesn't come alone, she comes with my children. Visits are the same for everyone, and the treatment is the same for all.”

Which Footballers Did Robinho Follow to Serve Prison Sentences?

Robinho is not the first footballer to have served a prison sentence for committing a crime. Among the other footballers in jail in the past are Adam Johnson, who was convicted of committing sexual assaults on minors. Manchester United legend George Best was once jailed for a period for drunk driving, while Arsenal legend Ian Wright was also among the footballers in jail at times for driving without a license.

Even the former teammate of Robinho, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, was among the footballers in jail. Ronaldinho was jailed in 2020 for a month in Paraguay for traveling to the country with a fake passport, but was released after a month. Robinho, however, will have a serve out a much longer prison sentence for his crimes. Robinho made over 700 appearances in his domestic career, scoring 231 goals and providing 122, and he also scored 28 goals in 100 appearances for Brazil.