Santos suspend Robinho's contract just ONE WEEK after his return to Brazil so forward can 'concentrate exclusively' on appealing rape conviction in Italy
- Italian court sentenced Robinho to nine years in prison for role in 2013 gang rape
- 36-year-old denies the charges and is appealing the verdict with case ongoing
- Robinho re-signed for boyhood club Santos last week after moving from Turkey
- But his contract has been suspended so he can focus on his Italian court appeal
- It came after a major Santos sponsor terminated their contract after his signing
Robinho has left Santos just a week after he re-signed for his boyhood team in Brazil.
It came after a Santos sponsor made reference to the player's ongoing rape case and cut its ties with the club.
Brazilian orthodontics franchise Orthopride ended their sponsorship 'out of respect for women' after the club announced Robinho's signing.
![Robinho has seen his contract at Santos suspended so he can 'concentrate exclusively' on appealing his conviction for rape in Italy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/10/17/11/34504330-8850201-image-a-9_1602930818764.jpg)
Robinho has seen his contract at Santos suspended so he can 'concentrate exclusively' on appealing his conviction for rape in Italy
In 2017, the former Manchester City forward was sentenced by an Italian court to nine years in prison for his involvement in the gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman at a nightclub in 2013.
Robinho, 36, denies the charges and has appealed the ruling. The case is continuing.
A Santos club statement read: 'Santos and Robinho have by mutual agreement resolved to suspend the contract signed on 10 October so that the player can concentrate exclusively on his court defence in Italy.'
Forward Robinho agreed to rejoin Santos on a vastly reduced salary of just £200-a-month following his release by Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.
![Robinho (right) left Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir after helping them to the league title](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/10/17/11/34504380-8850201-image-a-10_1602930909719.jpg)
Robinho (right) left Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir after helping them to the league title
But his return to the club caused controversy with shirt sponsor Orthopride cancelling their contract.
Chief operating officer Richard Adam told Globo Esporte: 'We have enormous respect for Santos' history. But at this point, we have decided to terminate the sponsorship contract.
'Our audience is mostly female and, out of respect for the women who buy our products, we had to make that decision.
'We want to make it clear that we were not previously informed about the signing of Robinho, we were taken by surprise by the news over the weekend.'
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