Raul Asencio ‘a danger on the road’ after drink-driving conviction, says Dani Senabre

Spanish journalist Dani Senabre has called on Real Madrid to take decisive action against Raul Asencio after the defender was found guilty of a road-safety offence involving drink-driving.

Asencio was fined and had his driving licence withdrawn for eight months after being convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. Real Madrid have since opened a disciplinary case against the player in accordance with the club’s internal regulations.

Senabre criticised Asencio’s conduct during an appearance on the Ruben Martin web programme, with his comments reported by Spanish newspaper Sport.

“If it were up to me, this player would never wear the Real Madrid shirt again. That is completely clear,” Senabre said.

He argued that the incident was serious enough to have caused a fatal accident and said any punishment should reflect the potential consequences of Asencio’s actions.

“He will never play in my team again. I would remove him from the squad. I take these things very seriously. A person who exceeds the permitted alcohol limit by four times is, yes, driving recklessly,” he added.

Senabre also used particularly strong language to describe the danger posed by the incident.

“Driving in this way makes him, potentially, a killing machine, but fortunately he did not encounter anyone in his path. If I were Florentino Perez, he would not play again,” he said.

The journalist acknowledged that the club’s response could be influenced by a player’s status within the squad, although he insisted that the same standards should apply to everyone.

“It is also easy because he is not the star of your team as Kylian Mbappe is, although everyone should be treated equally. It would be different, but Asencio has a record,” Senabre said.

His reference to Asencio having a “record” was made while arguing that the latest incident should not be considered in isolation. He maintained that the defender’s actions had also created reputational damage for the club.

“Asencio harms the image of Real Madrid. There are companies that dismiss employees because of a single tweet, or because of the way they dress,” Senabre said.

The 22-year-old Asencio has become part of Real Madrid’s first-team set-up, but the club’s disciplinary proceedings mean he could face internal sanctions in addition to the legal penalty already imposed over the driving offence.

Real Madrid’s decision will be made under the club’s internal rules. Senabre’s remarks have added to the public debate in Spain over how football clubs should respond when players are convicted of serious conduct-related offences away from the pitch.

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