Former Manchester City star Robinho has been arrested at his home in Santos, Brazil, following a ruling that he should serve a nine-year sentence for his involvement in a gang rape in Italy in 2017.
The Brazilian Federal Police apprehended him, and he is expected to have a custody hearing soon.
Robinho was among six men convicted of sexually assaulting a woman at an Italian nightclub in January 2013.
Despite maintaining his innocence, he was found guilty in November 2017 and has since made unsuccessful appeals.
Having lived freely in Brazil for the past seven years, Robinho faced an international arrest warrant from Italy.
However, Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice voted in favor of him serving his sentence in his home country. This decision does not affect his guilt but rather the location of his imprisonment.
Although Brazil does not extradite its citizens, Italian law stipulates that Robinho’s sentence will not commence until all appeals are exhausted.
Prosecutors in Italy argued for his extradition, while Brazil advocated for his sentence to be served domestically. The recent ruling settled the matter in favor of the latter.