Former Spanish youth international Santi Mina has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of sexual abuse.
The 26-year-old, who has scored 84 goals in over 300 appearances for LaLiga clubs Celta Vigo and Valencia, will appeal the verdict and must serve time if that fails.
On Wednesday, Mina was found guilty on one charge of sexual abuse but was cleared of a sexual aggression charge.
Spanish club Celta said it had removed the player from its squad until the appeal process is completed. It also opened disciplinary proceedings to determine the options the club can take.
David Goldar, who plays for lower-division club Ibiza and was previously on the books at Celta, stood trial alongside Mina but was found not guilty after being accused of being an accomplice.
A woman accused Mina of raping her in a camper van in 2017, where she had gone with Goldar. Her lawyer said Goldar did nothing to stop Mina from raping her. Both men said the woman consented to their sexual relations.
Mina has also been handed a 500-metre restraining order from the victim for 12 years along with a 50,000-euro fine.
At the time, the striker was playing for Valencia. He returned to his boyhood club in Vigo in 2019.
The ruling by the lower court can be appealed to Spain's Supreme Court. The state prosecutor had asked for eight years in prison for Mina, while the victim’s lawyers were seeking nine-and-a-half years.
