Former Brazilian international, Robinho was sentenced to nine years in prison by an Italian court after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman at a night club in Milan in January 2013, when he was still playing for AC Milan.
The Manchester City forward and five other people involved in assaulting an Albanian woman were not in court, but the 33-year-old pleaded not guilty through his lawyer.
A statement posted on his Instagram from his legal team said: “Regarding the news involving the striker Robinho, in an incident that occurred several years ago, we wish to clarify that he already declared his innocence and maintained he had no involvement whatsoever.
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“All legal steps are now being taken with regards to this decision by a court of first instance.”
Robinho who broke the English transfer record in 2008 when Man City signed him from Real Madrid for £32.5million, currently plays for homeland club Atletico Mineiro.
According to Italian laws the sentence will be put on hold until the appeals process is completed.
Atletico Mineiro, declined to comment on the sentence, stating they would only speak through the team’s lawyers if necessary