At 40 years old, Robinho, the former star of Real Madrid and Manchester City, is trying to make his days in prison as entertaining as possible so that his stay feels shorter. After being convicted of group rape in Italy, the Brazilian is serving a nine-year sentence in a prison in his own country. Robson de Souza, found guilty of assaulting an Albanian woman along with five other men in a nightclub in Italy in January 2013 while playing for AC Milan, is dedicating himself to learning new skills in prison, as reported by The Sun.
As part of a program to rehabilitate prisoners and help them reintegrate into society upon release, the winger has enrolled in a 600-hour basic electronics course at the Brazilian Universal Institute, where he is learning to repair appliances such as televisions and radios.
According to his lawyer, Mario Rosso, «Robinho keeps his head down and quietly moves forward… he is being an exemplary prisoner and has not had any problems with other inmates. He even received a pair of football boots as a gift, once integrated, so he could join in the games during recreation time.»
Regarding the electronics courses, the lawyer added, «It’s hard to say if he’s enjoying it or not, but it helps him pass the time.» In addition, while his defense continues to appeal the judicial decision in an attempt to get the former player out of prison, he has also volunteered to lead a reading program that offers 500 books per month to inmates.