Sports
Robinho awaits fate on serving nine-year rape sentence in Brazil
By Francesca Hangeior
Brazil’s justice system on Wednesday will decide whether former Manchester City and Real Madrid striker Robinho will serve his nine-year rape sentence, handed down by an Italian court, in the South American country.
Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (STJ) will examine the Italian request to approve the prison sentence that was imposed in 2017 and ratified in 2022.
“I hope that here in Brazil I can have the voice that I didn’t have there,” Robinho, who has protested his innocence, said in an interview with Brazilian network TV Record on Sunday.
Robson de Souza, popularly known as “Robinho”, remains free despite his conviction for being among a group of six men who gang raped a young Albanian woman out celebrating her 23rd birthday at a Milan nightclub in 2013.
Former Brazil international Robinho was playing his club football for AC Milan at the time.
His sentence was upheld by Italy’s highest court, after which Italian prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant.
Brazil does not extradite its nationals, however, and Italy asked that Robinho be made to serve his sentence in his home country instead.
On Sunday, Robinho accused the Italian justice system of “racism”.
“It was consensual,” Robinho told TV Record.
“I never denied it (the encounter). I could have denied it because my DNA was not there, but I’m not a liar.
“I played for four years in Italy and I got tired of seeing stories about racism. The same people who do nothing about racism, which I repudiate, are the ones who condemned me.”
If the ruling goes against him, the 40-year-old could still remain free while awaiting an appeal to Brazil’s Supreme Court.
Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that he hopes Robinho can “serve” the sentence on Brazilian soil.
According to Brazilian media, magistrates are expected to approve Italy’s request.
“Approval is not common, because the law that allows it is relatively recent. It would be an unprecedented case in Brazil,” lawyer Leonardo Pantaleao told AFP.
Meanwhile, Robinho’s case and that of former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain defender Dani Alves have sparked criticism over the failure of football authorities in Brazil to condemn violence against women.
In February, former Brazil international full-back Alves, 40, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for raping a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona.
The case was met with silence from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the player’s former clubs and former teammates.
Former Brazil coach Tite said he could not “make a judgement without having all the facts and truthful information” about the case.
For Robinho, it has been a dramatic fall from grace.
Having begun his career at Santos, a team made famous by Brazil great Pele, Robinho was touted as the successor to the golden generation of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.
In 2005, Robinho left Santos to join Zinedine Zidane, international teammate Ronaldo and David Beckham at Real Madrid.
But although he played for big teams in Europe and won two Confederations Cups — in 2005 and 2009 — and a Copa America in 2007, Robinho only displayed his talent intermittently.
In 2009, he was briefly detained in England for an alleged sexual assault on a young woman, but the charges were dropped after an investigation.
He returned to Santos in 2020 but the club suspended the deal after pressure from fans, sponsors and the media, leading to the abrupt end of his career.
Sports
Meet New Head Coach As Chelsea Sack Liam Rosenior
Chelsea have sacked Liam Rosenior as manager after just 107 days in charge, as a result of a poor run of performance that saw the club suffer five consecutive Premier League defeats without scoring.
The club confirmed the decision in a statement on Wednesday, saying it was not taken lightly but was necessary due to “recent results and performances” falling “below the necessary standards”.
“Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Liam Rosenior.
“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to place on record our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club.
“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,” the statement read.
Chelsea added that the former Strasbourg manager leaves with the club still competing in the FA Cup and chasing European qualification.
“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,” the statement read.
Chelsea added that the former Strasbourg manager leaves with the club still competing in the FA Cup and chasing European qualification.
“Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future,” the statement added.
Rosenior, who was appointed in January on a six-year contract to replace Enzo Maresca, departs with Chelsea seventh in the Premier League and seven points off the Champions League places.
Meanwhile, Calum McFarlane will now take charge of the team as interim head coach until the end of the season, beginning with Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds at Wembley, with support from existing backroom staff.
“As the club works to bring stability to the head coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment,” Chelsea said.
Rosenior’s exit comes after a run that included defeats to Newcastle, Everton, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Brighton, with Chelsea failing to score in all five games.
Sports
Man City Defeat Burnley To Top EPL Table
Manchester City defeated Burnley 1-0 in the English Premier League (EPL) encounter at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.
Manchester City took control of the EPL title race thanks to Erling Haaland’s early goal against the Clarets, who are relegated to the English Championship with the defeat.
Manchester City took the lead in five minutes when Haaland darted through Burnley’s defence to meet Jeremy Doku’s through ball and expertly chipped the goalkeeper for his 24th league goal of the season.
The Norwegian striker also went close later but was denied by the post, and City went into the break with only a one-goal lead.
Burnley improved in the second half with Lyle Foster’s deflected strike inches wide of the post, before Quilindschy Hartman tested Gianluigi Donnarumma with a powerful effort.
The visitors, however, weathered the storm and regained control, but efforts from Doku, Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Nico O’Rilley all went close but were all denied.
They, however, held on to take all three points and stretch their unbeaten run to 11 matches, while Burnley are winless in nine games.
Pep Guardiola’s side return to the top of the table for the first time since the first week of the season, ending Arsenal’s 200 days at the top.
Both teams are on the same 70 points and the same goal difference, but City has scored more goals to claim the top spot.
Burnley, however, return to the Championship after only one season in the top flight, and are the second team after Wolverhampton Wanderers to confirm their relegation status.
Sports
Finally, former Premier League champions Leicester relegated to English division three
Former Premier League champions Leicester were relegated to the third tier for only the second time in their history after a 2-2 draw against Hull on Tuesday.
Gary Rowett’s side needed a victory at the King Power Stadium to keep alive their slender hopes of avoiding relegation.
But the Foxes were denied by Oli McBurnie’s second-half equaliser, which condemned them to League One just 10 years after they were crowned English champions in a fairytale triumph.
Liam Millar put Hull ahead in the 18th minute before Leicester equalised through James Justin’s 52nd-minute penalty.
Luke Thomas put Leicester ahead two minutes later, but McBurnie extinguished their dreams of a great escape with his 63rd-minute leveller.
Second-bottom Leicester are seven points from safety with just two games left.
Leicester will play in the third tier for the first time since 2008-09 following an astonishing decline over the last five years.
“We have to learn. I think the club have to accept this is the horrible part of the journey of a football club,” Rowett said.
“This club won the Premier League not too many moons ago. That was an incredible high at the time for the fans, for everyone associated with the club.
“I think everyone saw that as an amazing achievement. I think we can be equally as disappointed with how poor this moment is.”
It is a third relegation in four seasons for Leicester, who dropped out of the Premier League in 2023 and 2025.
After Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and company defied 5,000-1 odds by winning the Premier League in 2016, Leicester reached the Champions League quarter-finals the next season and won the FA Cup in 2021.
But Leicester’s golden era is a distant memory as they face the unpalatable prospect of playing the likes of Bromley, Mansfield and Wycombe next season.
“The bigger picture is you don’t get relegated over three or four games, you get relegated over a season,” Rowett said.
“The club has to rise again but it has to learn its lessons because it’s certainly been a season of an awful lot of regret.”
Crashing out of the Premier League in limp fashion three years ago should have been a wake-up call for Leicester’s Thai owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and much-maligned sporting director Jon Rudkin.
But Leicester’s hierarchy were painfully slow to address numerous flaws on the pitch, while the club’s ruinous finances have cost them with a six-point deduction this season for breaching spending rules.
Vardy’s departure at the end of last season severed the last tie with the title-winning squad.
Marti Cifuentes, hired to lead a promotion push, struggled to rebuild an unbalanced and inexperienced squad before his sacking in January.
Interim boss Andy King was unable to turn the tide and relegation fears began to mount after Leicester blew a 3-0 half-time lead in a dismal 4-3 defeat against Southampton.
By the time Rowett was hired in February, the Foxes were two points from safety and the former Leicester defender has mustered only one win from his 12 matches since.
Boardroom blunders have been the defining influence on Leicester’s plummet towards League One.
Claudio Ranieri, architect of their title-winning campaign, was sacked just months after lifting the trophy, with Craig Shakespeare and then Claude Puel proving inadequate replacements.
Brendan Rodgers, who masterminded the club’s FA Cup triumph and two fifth-placed finishes in the Premier League, was dismissed as relegation beckoned in 2023.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Coventry clinched the Championship title with a 5-1 rout of Portsmouth.
Frank Lampard’s side had sealed promotion back to the top flight after a 25-year absence with a draw at Blackburn on Friday.
Millwall climbed to second place with a 3-1 win at Stoke, while fourth-placed Southampton’s bid for automatic promotion was dented by a 2-2 draw against Bristol City.
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