The High Court of Valencia has sentenced Sevilla forward Rafa Mir to eight and a half years in prison after convicting the Spanish footballer of sexual assault and causing bodily harm.
The ruling was issued by a regional court in Valencia, which found the 28-year-old guilty following a trial that took place in late May. Court officials confirmed that the verdict can still be appealed.
According to the court, the offenses occurred on September 1, 2024, at Mir's home in Bétera, near Valencia, after the player and a friend met two women at a nightclub earlier that evening.
A second defendant, identified as a friend of the footballer, was also convicted. He received a prison sentence of two and a half years for sexual assault and an offense related to damage to reputation, in addition to a financial penalty for causing bodily harm.
The court ordered Mir to pay the victim €64,000 in compensation. Throughout the legal proceedings, the striker maintained his innocence and denied the accusations against him.
Mir, a product of Valencia's youth academy, joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018 before returning to Spain with Sevilla in 2021. He later spent time on loan at Valencia and subsequently played the 2025-26 season on loan at Elche.
The forward was arrested in September 2024 following the allegations and was suspended for two matches by Valencia shortly afterward. He has also represented Spain at youth international level during his career.
The verdict marks a significant development in one of the most closely followed legal cases involving a Spanish professional footballer in recent years, although the judicial process may continue if an appeal is filed.
Follow the latest news on Google News
