Former Real Madrid striker Robinho on Friday was sentenced to nine years of jail after he was convicted in a gangrape case in Milan in 2013.
An Italian court ruled that the former AC Milan striker and five other Brazilians assaulted a 22-year-old Albanian woman after plying her with alcohol in a discotheque in January 2013.
While one of the accused has also been handed nine years of imprisonment, the trial of the four others has been put on hold as their whereabouts is not known.
Besides imprisonment, the court has also handed a fine of €60 000 to those found guilty in the incident.
According to the Sport24, Robinho and his acquaintances made the young woman drink to the point of making her unconscious before they engaged in "sexual intercourse multiple times in a row" with her.
The 33-year-old, who was not in court when the verdict was declared, pleaded not guilty via his lawyer and has also launched an appeal against the verdict.
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Robinho, who left AC Milan in 2015 after five years, took to his Instagram and Facebook account protesting his innocence.
"We have already said that he has defended himself against these accusations and stated that he played no role in this incident.All legal measures have already been taken," he wrote.
This is not for the first time that Robinho has faced allegations of sexually assault.
In 2009, the striker was questioned by British police after a woman accused him of assault at a nightclub in Leeds when he used to play for Manchester City. However, he was eventually released without any charge.