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LONDON — Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison by an Italian court after being found guilty of sexual assault.

The incident took place in January 2013 while the Brazilian was playing for AC Milan.

Robinho, along with five other men, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old Albanian woman at a nightclub in Milan. Although the court in Milan has found Robinho guilty, the sentence will not be enforced until the appeal process has been completed.

Robinho has the right to two appeals and the Italian court will only launch extradition proceedings once the legal process is exhausted.

The court has ordered the victim to receive €60 000 as compensation for her suffering.

Robinho, who did not appear at any of the court hearings, pleaded not guilty to the charge via his lawyer.

The other five men were also found guilty in this case.

In January 2009, Robinho was arrested and released on bail over allegations of a sexual assault at a nightclub in Leeds, but he faced no charges following an investigation by West Yorkshire Police.

The 33-year-old had become the most expensive player in British football less than a year earlier when he joined Manchester City from Real Madrid for £32.5 million.

But the Brazilian struggled to adapt to life in the English Premier League and was sold to AC Milan two years later for just £15m. Robinho is currently playing for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil and has been capped 100 times by his national side. — Metro.