In the elite football world, a single smartphone recording can ruin a career as surely as a torn ACL. That is exactly what is unfolding around young Real Madrid defender Raúl Asensio, whose name has been drawn into a criminal case over the distribution of a sex tape featuring a minor.
The Incident and the Charges Filed
According to the investigation, three former players from farm team Castilla—Andrés García, Ferran Ruiz and Juan Rodríguez—spent the night with two women in a hotel room in the Canary Islands. The encounter was consensual, yet the defenders turned into camera operators: the intimate episode was filmed and later circulated via messaging apps without the participants’ knowledge. Legally, this amounts to a double breach of privacy, aggravated by the fact that one of the women was only sixteen at the time.
Raúl Asensio’s Role
Asensio did not join the action on the “pitch”—during the filming he was present only virtually. According to prosecutors, the Los Blancos defender requested the clip in a private message to “show a friend”, then deleted the file. Yet even such brief “possession of the ball” earned him a red card: possession of child pornography and showing it to third parties. For this, the prosecution is asking for a 2.5-year prison sentence, noting that the penalty is lighter than for the “main actors”, who face up to five years.
The Prosecution’s Position
Lady Justice in the Canary Islands is playing a high press: the indictment lists counts of invasion of privacy, unlawful transfer of video, and involving a minor in the production of pornography. The investigating judge removed Asensio from the filming count but left the counts of storing and displaying prohibited material—enough for punishment, in the prosecution’s view.
The Player’s Defensive Line
Raúl responds in a public statement: “I have never taken part in any acts that infringe on women’s sexual freedom, especially that of a minor.” The player stresses that the court has already cleared him of suspicion of recording the footage, and that a brief viewing, in his version, did not constitute distribution. He invokes the presumption of innocence and expresses unconditional respect for women’s right to privacy.
Next Steps and Potential Consequences
The investigation is formally complete and the case has been forwarded to court: the date of the hearing at which Asensio and his former teammates will step onto the “judicial pitch” is now awaited. At stake is not only freedom but also his future in La Liga: even a suspended sentence could close the door to Real’s first team and put a full stop to the defender’s promising career. While fans debate transfer news, lawyers are drawing up their defensive tactics, for the final whistle in this story has yet to sound.
