Real Madrid centre back Raúl Asencio has been found guilty of drink driving, receiving a €14,400 fine and an eight-month driving ban. The conviction came days before child sex charges against the 23-year-old were dropped.
Stop in Gran Canaria
Asencio was stopped at a checkpoint in Gran Canaria on August 16, where he was found to be well over the legal alcohol limit while driving a Porsche. His driving did not reportedly cause any accident, nor has there been any suggestion of recklessness.
The Spaniard has since apologised for the incident, saying: "I am deeply sorry for what happened and I fully accept my responsibility. It has been an experience from which I have learned and I am very clear that it will not happen again."
Child sex charges dropped
In September 2023, Asencio and three other Real Madrid academy players were arrested over allegations that sexual videos involving a woman and a minor had been recorded and shared without consent. Asencio was accused of receiving and forwarding one video.
He has since been acquitted of all charges, after the victims of the alleged crime reportedly told the court that they had forgiven those involved.
Mourinho's criticism
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho criticised Asencio's conduct, admitting to being "not happy" with his centre back. Mourinho said: "A Real Madrid player is a Real Madrid player for 24 hours, seven days a week, 12 months a year, so when you do something outside your professional area, it's still Real Madrid and it hurts the club's prestige that is untouchable. So I am not happy. We all make errors but no, I'm not happy."
The former Chelsea manager did however remark that Asencio's attitude had been "perfect" since the incident, saying: "His attitude is perfect here. He picked up an injury a few weeks ago and since then, he is first to arrive and last to leave working on his recovery."
In a statement, Asencio added: "I don't want to get involved in controversies or look back. I want to close this chapter with respect, with my head held high and with a great desire to move forward. And I [am] absolutely in agreement with my coach: not only on the pitch, but also off it."
