Former Manchester City star Robinho has been jailed for nine years over the sexual assault of a young woman.
The former Brazil and AC Milan striker was one of five men found guilty of assaulting a 22-year-old Albanian woman at a Milan nightclub in 2013.
An Italian court heard the player and other defendants had plied the victim with alcohol before the attack.
The whereabouts of Robinho’s five companions is not known, so their trial has been put on hold, reports said.
The 33-year-old, who currently plays with Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, pleaded not guilty via his lawyer and has not appeared at any of the court hearings in northern Italy.
He has a right to two appeals and Italy would only launch extradition proceedings once legal processes are exhausted, a legal source said.
The Milan court ordered the victim to be paid 60,000 euro in compensation.
Robinho, who also played for Real Madrid and Manchester City, has made 100 appearances for the Brazil national team and scored 28 goals.
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