Former footballer Robson de Souza, known internationally as Robinho, has appeared in his first recorded interview from prison since beginning a nine-year sentence in Brazil following his conviction for sexual assault in Italy.
The 41-year-old, who has been incarcerated at Dr José Augusto Cesar Salgado Prison in Tremembé, São Paulo state, since March 2024, spoke to a non-profit organisation focused on prisoner rehabilitation.
The footage, authorised by the institution, included limited visuals of the facility and showed the former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward appearing calm and composed.
In the video, Robinho described daily life inside the prison, saying that treatment and routines were the same for all inmates.
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“My meals and sleeping hours are the same as the other inmates,” he said.
“I have never eaten any different food, nor have I ever received any different treatment.
“When it is time to work, I do everything that everyone else does.
“When we want to play football, we can do so on Sundays when there is no work.”
Robinho spent two years at Manchester City earlier in his career
|PA/GBNEWS
He added that visits from family take place at weekends, stating that his wife and children attend together.
“Visits are the same and treatment is the same for everyone,” he said.
The prison, often referred to as P2 Tremembé, is known for housing several high-profile inmates.
Robinho dismissed reports suggesting that he holds any leadership position there or suffers from mental health issues.
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“I have never had that, I have never needed medication,” he said.
“The goal here is to re-educate and re-socialise those who have made mistakes. The guards are in charge. I am not different because I was a footballer.”
The interview coincided with reports in Brazil that Robinho had requested a transfer to another facility.
Local media indicated that a judge declined the request, instructing that any such petition must first be directed to prison authorities.
Robinho is serving his sentence at the Dr José Augusto Cesar Salgado Prison in Tremembé
|GETTY
His legal team reportedly proposed three alternative prisons within São Paulo state.
The request is believed to relate to changes in Tremembé’s management, with plans to convert it into a more open system where inmates can work outside during the day.
Robinho is serving the sentence originally imposed by an Italian court for the 2013 sexual assault of a woman in Milan.
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled in early 2024 that the conviction would be recognised domestically and that the sentence should be served in Brazil.
Robinho pictured in 2009 during his time at Manchester City
|PA
Another man convicted in the same case, Ricardo Falco, began serving his sentence three months later.
Both men have consistently maintained their innocence, claiming that the encounter was consensual. Their legal appeals in Italy spanned several years before the final ruling was upheld.
Since entering custody, Robinho has been reported to participate in education and rehabilitation programmes, including reading groups and basic electronics classes designed to shorten time served through good conduct.
According to Brazilian media, football remains part of the routine, with matches organised among inmates once or twice a week.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred while the former Brazil international was playing for AC Milan. Italian prosecutors said that the assault took place at a nightclub in January 2013.
Several other individuals named during the investigation were not tried after leaving Italy before court proceedings began.