Santos ends contract with Robinho after sponsor complaints

By: Christiana Sciaudone, The Associated Press Posted: 10:23 PM CDT Friday, Oct. 16, 2020 Last Modified: 10:24 PM CDT Friday, Oct. 16, 2020

Advertise with us

SAO PAULO - Brazilian soccer team Santos has suspended a newly-signed contract with international star Robinho after a sponsor made reference to the player's past sexual assault case and cut its ties with the club.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/10/2020 (2131 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SAO PAULO – Brazilian soccer team Santos has suspended a newly-signed contract with international star Robinho after a sponsor made reference to the player’s past sexual assault case and cut its ties with the club.

“Santos and Robinho have by mutual agreement resolved to suspend the contract signed on 10 October so that player can concentrate exclusively on his court defence in Italy,” the club said in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday.

In 2017, the former Manchester City forward was sentenced by an Italian court to nine years in prison for his involvement in the rape of a 22-year-old woman at a nightclub in 2013. Robinho has appealed the ruling and the case is continuing.

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2016, file photo, Robinho celebrates after scoring in a friendly soccer match between Friends of Neymar and Friends of Robinho in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazilian soccer team Santos has suspended a newly-signed contract with international star Robinho after a sponsor made reference to the player's past sexual assault case and cut its ties with the club, Santos said in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine, File)

The 36-year-old Robinho began his career at Santos before starring with Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan, among other clubs. This was to be his third stint with Santos.

Brazilian orthodontics franchise Orthopride announced this week it had ended its sponsorship deal with Santos “out of respect for women” after the club announced Robinho’s signing.

Orthopride chief operating officer Richard Magrath told Globo Esporte: “We have enormous respect for Santos’ history. But at this point, we have decided to terminate the sponsorship contract.

“Our audience is mostly female and, out of respect for the women who buy our products, we had to make that decision. We want to make it clear that we were not previously informed about the signing of Robinho, we were taken by surprise by the news over the weekend.”

Robinho posted a video on Twitter and which was retweeted on several media websites, saying: “I will prove my innocence.”