Raul Asencio faces fresh legal challenge as Real Madrid defender awaits privacy case hearing

Raul Asencio has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in Spain, adding to the legal uncertainty surrounding the Real Madrid defender before a separate court hearing that could result in a prison sentence of two years and six months.

Asensio is due to appear before a court in his home area of Gran Canaria on Thursday in connection with an investigation dating back to the summer of 2023. The case concerns an explicit video involving two women, one of whom was underage at the time, recorded during a holiday attended by several Real Madrid academy players at a beach club.

Asencio was not involved in filming the video and did not appear in it. However, prosecutors allege that he showed the footage to a third person, prompting an investigation into a possible breach of privacy.

Spanish prosecutors previously sought a sentence of two years, six months and one day in prison for the defender. The case could nevertheless take a different course if the two alleged victims formally accept his apology and the prosecution withdraws its accusations against him.

Proceedings against three of Asencio’s former team-mates from the Real Madrid academy are continuing. Ferran Ruiz, Andres Garcia and Juan Rodriguez face allegations that differ from those made against Asencio, meaning their cases cannot be dropped through an agreement based on forgiveness by the victims.

The latest development involving Asencio was reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, which said he had recently been found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol in the south of Gran Canaria. Police stopped him while he was driving on 16 August.

A breath test recorded 0.90 milligrams of alcohol per litre of breath. That figure is close to four times the legal limit, according to the report.

As a result, Asencio was fined €14,400 and had his driving licence withdrawn for eight months.

The drink-driving conviction comes while the older privacy case remains unresolved. The potential prison sentence in that matter could keep him away from football for two and a half years if he is convicted and given the requested punishment.

Asencio’s future away from the pitch is therefore subject to significant uncertainty, with the new driving conviction adding another legal problem before Thursday’s hearing in Gran Canaria.