DISGRACED former footie ace Robinho is pursuing a new career behind bars – as a TV repairman.
The former Man City and AC Milan sensation, serving nine years in a hellhole Brazilian jail for rape, is taking a prison course in basic electronics.
The millionaire con, who has an estimated £60million net worth, is learning how to fix TVs, radios and other household electrical goods in a prison work programme.
The programme is designed to teach inmates new skills in preparation for their future release.
Robinho’s lawyer, Mario Rosso Vale, says the ex-player has been a model prisoner since being jailed in March.
He told SunSport: “Robinho is keeping his head down and quietly getting on with it… he is being an exemplary inmate and has had no issues with other prisoners.
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“They even gave him some football boots, once he was integrated, to join in the games during recreation time.
“He is keeping himself occupied. He has signed up for a basic electronics course learning how to repair TVs and radios. He has to do 600 hours of remote learning to qualify in this area.”
Mr Vale said the course is provided by the Brazilian Universal Institute, adding: “It’s hard to say whether he’s enjoying it or not, but it’s helping to pass the time.”
The fallen star was found guilty for his part in the gang rape of an Albanian woman at a nightclub in Milan in 2013.
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Timeline of Robinho’s rape case
The rape case involving Brazilian footballer Robinho spans several years. Here’s a brief timeline:
- January 22, 2013: Robinho was one of a group of six men convicted of sexually assaulting an Albanian woman in a club during his stint for AC Milan.
- 2014: Brazilian media reported on the allegations against Robinho, but no formal charges were filed at that time.
- 2017: Robinho was found guilty of sexual assault by an Italian court and sentenced to nine years in prison. However, he denied the charges and appealed the verdict.
- 2020: After the appeal process, Robinho’s sentence was upheld by the Italian court. But due to the statute of limitations in Italy, he was not extradited to serve his sentence.
- 2022: Robinho’s prison sentence is ratified.
- March 2023: Robinho surrendered his passport to authorities
- November 2023: Italian prosecutors said they felt Robinho should serve his time in Brazil.
- March 20, 2024: Brazil’s Superior Court formed a simple majority and voted for Robinho to serve the sentence in his home country.
The Italian government had requested that he serve his sentence in Brazil after failing to get him extradited.
The ex-samba striker was taken from his seafront luxury home in Santos to the rural Tremembe prison near Sao Paulo where he now spends his days in a tiny eight-metre squared cell.
To keep himself busy Robinho, 40, has also volunteered to run a reading programme which distributes 500 books a month to other cons at the notorious prison.
Lawyers for the fallen star are currently appealing his sentence.
Robinho could get a more flexible jail regime for good behavior in prison, according to Brazilian law. He will be eligible in 2027, when almost half of his sentence has been served.
The star played for clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan, and signed a contract in 2020 to return to his first club in his native Brazil, Santos.
However, the deal almost immediately fell apart after sponsors reportedly threatened to cut ties with the club for signing a player convicted of rape.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
