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Italy issues global warrant for Brazilian footballer Robinho after rape sentence

Robinho was among a group of six men accused of taking part in the rape of an Albanian woman celebrating her 23rd birthday in a Milan nightclub

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Italian prosecutors on Tuesday issued an international arrest warrant for former Brazil forward Robinho and asked for his extradition following confirmation of his conviction for gang rape, news agencies reported.

Judges at Italy’s top court, the Court of Cassation in Rome, last month upheld a nine-year sentence for the footballer’s part in an attack on a young woman in January 2013, when Robinho was playing for AC Milan.

On Tuesday, prosecutors in Milan forwarded the request for extradition and the arrest warrant to the ministry of justice, Italy’s ANSA and AGI news agencies reported.

Neither prosecutors nor the ministry immediately responded to an AFP request for comment.

Jacopo Gnocchi, the lawyer for the victim, said it made no difference to his client whether Robinho served his sentence in Italy or Brazil.

“The main thing is he serves it, particularly for the crime committed, to protect women,” he said.

The media reports noted that while Brazil’s constitution bans the extradition of its citizens, the international warrant means Robinho could be at risk of arrest if he travels elsewhere.

The now 38-year-old, capped 100 times for Brazil, was among a group of six men accused of taking part in the rape of an Albanian woman celebrating her 23rd birthday in a Milan nightclub.

Robinho started his career at Santos in 2002 and joined Real Madrid in 2005, going on to play for Manchester City from 2008 to 2010, and Milan for four years until 2014.

He also played in China with Guangzhou Evergrande, Atletico Mineiro in Brazil and Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.

In October 2020 Robinho was forced to abandon a move back to his first club Santos amid pressure put on the Brazilian giants by sponsors.

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