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
Racism probe: Mourinho gets 4-game ban for Galatasaray comments

Fenerbahçe manager, José Mourinho, has been handed a ban for his comments following their 0-0 draw with Galatasaray last weekend.
After the Istanbul Derby on Sunday, Mourinho criticised the Galatasaray bench for “jumping like monkeys” following an early challenge.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss also claimed the match would have been a “disaster” if a Turkish referee had been put in charge instead of Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić.
Galatasaray later issued a strong statement accusing Mourinho of racism and threatening legal action.
In response, Fenerbahçe hit back with a statement of their own, insisting their coach’s comments were “completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort them”.
Now, according to Sky Sports, the Turkish Football Federation has decided to punish Mourinho with a two-game ban for racist comments and a further two-match suspension for offensive remarks made about the fourth official.
Sports
Chelsea emphatic win against Southampton gives them hope of top four finish

Chelsea stormed back into Premier League top four with a commanding 4-0 victory over struggling Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The emphatic win lifted Enzo Maresca’s side to fourth place, reigniting hopes of a Champions League return after three consecutive defeats had cast doubt over their campaign.
Amid growing frustration among supporters—who gathered pre-match to chant for former owner Roman Abramovich—Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring with a courageous header, marking his 14th goal of the season.
The French star celebrated in trademark style, blowing a blue balloon, signaling a return of belief at the Bridge.
Pedro Neto doubled Chelsea’s lead with a clinical strike before Levi Colwill powered home a header from a Neto free-kick just before halftime.
The Blues capped their largest Premier League victory since 2022 when Marc Cucurella slotted in the fourth late on, ensuring the dominant display didn’t go unrewarded.
Facing pointed questions after defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton, Maresca insisted Chelsea were “on the right track.”
His side answered emphatically, though critics might note Southampton’s woeful form—bottom of the table with just nine points from 27 matches.
For Southampton, the defeat further deepened their crisis.
With 11 goals conceded in their last three league games and manager Ivan Juric branding the season a “disaster,” the Saints look destined to replicate their 2022-23 relegation woes.
While Chelsea’s top-four hopes received a boost, their position remains precarious.
For now, though, Chelsea can take solace in a performance that suggests Maresca’s project may yet bear fruit.
Manchester City and Newcastle could reclaim fourth spot with wins in their midweek fixtures.
Sports
Sad! Uganda based Nigerian footballer, Lawal falls to death from shopping mall

Police on Monday said they were investigating the death of Nigerian footballer Abubakar Lawal who fell from a shopping mall balcony in Kampala.
The 29-year-old striker played for local premiership club Vipers.
He fell from the third floor of Voicemall Shopping Arcade early on Monday, police said in a statement.
He had been visiting a Tanzanian friend staying in one of the residential apartments that form part of the mall.
The friend told police she had left him alone shortly before the fall.
Authorities are retrieving CCTV footage and conducting thorough interrogations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said.
The Vipers Sports Club said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to announce the sudden and untimely passing of our beloved player, Abubakar Lawal, who left us this morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Lawal’s family, club fans, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” it added.
Lawal had been the team’s striker since joining the club in July 2022 after two years with AS Kigali in Rwanda.
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