SAO PAULO: Italy has requested that former AC Milan and Brazil striker Robinho serves a 9-year prison sentence for rape in his home country, local media reported, citing Brazil’s Foreign Relations Ministry. In a statement, the Brazilian ministry confirmed it has received such a request without naming the player. Robinho’s defense lawyer could not be reached for comment. The request will be analyzed by the Justice Ministry’s Department of Asset Repatriation and International Legal Cooperation, the ministry added. Robinho, whose full name is Robson de Souza, lives in Brazil and has always denied the charges. Earlier this week, Italy’s Justice Ministry had issued an international arrest warrant for the player, after the country’s top court confirmed his conviction for rape in January. But the South American country does not extradite its nationals, which would mean Robinho would only face arrest if he traveled abroad. A Milan court in 2017 found Robinho and five other Brazilians guilty of gang raping a woman after plying her with alcohol in a discotheque. The conviction was confirmed by an appeals court in 2020 and validated by Italy’s Supreme Court last month.