Sevilla player Rafa Mir handed eight-and-a-half years in prison over sexual assault

Spanish footballer Rafa Mir has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after a court in Valencia found him guilty of sexual assault and assault causing injury.

The ruling was delivered by a court in eastern Spain on Monday following a case that stemmed from an incident in September 2024.

Mir, who is currently on loan at Elche from Sevilla, was arrested after a woman accused him of sexual assault.

Court details conviction

According to the court’s findings, Mir and another footballer met two women at a nightclub in Valencia before inviting them to continue the evening at Mir’s home.

The court ruled that Mir sexually assaulted one of the women in both the swimming pool area and a bathroom at the property.

Judges said the victim’s testimony remained consistent throughout the proceedings and was supported by witness statements and forensic evidence.

The woman was also awarded compensation of €64,000.

Mir’s lawyer had previously maintained that the encounter was consensual and said the player denied all allegations. However, the court found sufficient evidence to convict the 28-year-old striker.

The decision is not yet final and can still be appealed.

Sevilla reacts to verdict

Following the judgment, Sevilla issued a statement expressing respect for the legal process and condemning all forms of violence and abuse.

“The club, in light of the judgment issued by Section Four of the Provincial Court of Valencia in which footballer Rafa Mir – currently on loan at Elche CF until June 30 – is sentenced to eight and a half years, states its utmost respect for judicial proceedings and expresses our firm and unequivocal condemnation of any type of violence, abuse, or sexual assault,” the club said.

“Such conduct has no place in our society or in the values promoted by sport.”

The case comes amid increased scrutiny of misconduct allegations involving high-profile figures in Spanish football. Recent years have seen several major legal and disciplinary cases attract national attention.

Mir, who has previously played for English club Wolverhampton Wanderers and represented Spain at the Tokyo Olympics, was under contract with Valencia at the time of the incident.