Santos And Robinho Split In The Middle Of Pressure Of Rape Case

Robinho (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Santos and veteran international striker Robinho said Friday they had agreed to split. The decision was taken amidst the pressure the Brazilian soccer team is putting on Robinho's punishment in Italy after raping a young woman in 2013 while he was playing for Milan.

Robson de Souza, popularly known as Robinho, was once a rising football star, only a few days ago signing a 36-month contract with Santos, the team he played in before being signed to Real Madrid, Manchester City and Milan.

"The Santos football club and Robinho's players announce that based on mutual consent, they have decided to suspend his contract on October 10 so that the player can concentrate exclusively on his defense in the case that occurs in Italy," the club said in a statement posted on Twitter. from Antara , Saturday.

"It is with deep sadness in my heart that I tell you that I have taken the decision together with the president of the [football club] to suspend my contract at this tumultuous time in my life," said Robinho, 36, in one video. "My goal is always to help the Santos football club."

"If my presence is in any way distracting, it is better to go and take care of my personal matters," he said.

Since news broke out about his contract with Santos, the club has come under increasing pressure from fans, media and women's groups to break the tie due to the nine-year prison sentence handed down by an Italian court in 2017 for the gang of rapists in which Robinho was found guilty of participating four years earlier.

Robinho, once touted as the successor to Santos' most famous player Pele, has appealed the charges, pleading his innocence.

But the club sponsor has threatened to resign if he remains at Santos. And the television channel Globo Sports released an excerpt from the tape that Italian prosecutors used to secure their conviction, in which the player is said to say, "I laugh because I don't care. This woman is really drunk. She doesn't even know what's going on."

Robinho was found guilty after taking part in a gang that raped a woman in her 20s with a group of friends at a Milan nightclub.

Santos, who also launched contemporary star Neymar, has until now resisted pressure to part with Robinho, insisting that the trial of the case go ahead.

Robinho started his career there in 2002 and joined Real Madrid in 2005, then played for Manchester City and Milan.