The club announced on its website that "Santos Futebol Clube and athlete Robinho inform that, in common agreement, they decided to suspend the validity of the contract signed on October 10 so that the player can focus exclusively on his defense in the process that runs in Italy.”
The player stated in a video published on social networks that “with a lot of sadness in my heart I come to tell you that I made the decision with the president to suspend my contract at this troubled time in my life. My goal has always been to help Santos Futebol Clube, and if in any way I'm getting in the way, I better go out and focus on my personal issues.”
Robinho's situation was further complicated after transcripts of telephone interceptions made with court authorization showed that he revealed participation in the act. Based mainly on these recordings, the Brazilian was sentenced in the first instance to nine years in prison for the crime.
According to the investigation, the woman was taken to a dressing room at a nightclub in Milan, Italy, where she was abused by five men, among them Robinho and Ricardo Falco, his friend. The other suspects left Italy in the course of the investigation, so their participation in the act is the subject of another lawsuit.
The pressure from sponsors (Casa de Apostas, Philco, Tekbond and Kicaldo) was reinforced on Friday after the release of transcripts in which the player revealed participation in the act that led an Albanian woman to accuse the athlete and friends for collective rape.
Casa de Apostas has already declared in its Instagram account the following official note:
“As one of the sponsors of Santos FC, Casa de Apostas is attentive to all movements and information involving the hiring of Robinho. In light of the new facts, we have notified the club of the impossibility of continuing the sponsorship contract if the decision to continue the relationship with the player remains.”
In the note, the Casa de Apostas gave a deadline until today (Monday 19), to define the future of the partnership. With the decision to suspend the contract, there was no need to wait for the term stipulated by the sponsor. The post recorded more than 170 comments, most in support of the Casa de Apostas decision.
The contract would be valid for five months and would be discussed at a Deliberative Council meeting on the 21st. Robinho signed a contract and was announced last week, with a symbolic salary of R$1,500, but with a bonus of R$300 thousand after ten games and plus R$300 thousand after 15 games, which would be paid at the end of the contract. The club could renew for another year and seven months.
Sentenced in 2017 to nine years in prison for sexual violence in Italy, Robinho started training at CT Rei Pelé and had the support of coach Cuca, the squad and President Orlando Rollo, who in an interview with ge stated that the striker was suffering a "moral stoning.”
Source: GMB
