Rafael Mir, a former Premier League and Championship player, has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for sexual assault, a conviction that has sparked widespread condemnation from the football community. The 28-year-old, who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest among others, was found guilty of assaulting one of two women at his home in Betera, Spain, in September 2024.
The court's ruling was based on evidence that Mir had sexually assaulted a woman in his swimming pool and bathroom after meeting her and another victim at a nightclub in Valencia. The victims were accompanied by Mir's friend, Pablo Jara, who also faced conviction for his role in the incident. In addition to Mir's sentence, he has been ordered to pay €64,000 (approximately £55,000) in compensation to the woman he assaulted.
Mir's reaction to the sentencing was swift, with him releasing a statement on social media expressing his disagreement and confirming plans to appeal the verdict. His lawyer had previously maintained that any interaction between Mir and the victims was consensual, but this assertion has been rejected by the court. In contrast, Sevilla, Mir's parent club, issued a statement condemning the assault in the strongest possible terms, reiterating its commitment to promoting values of respect and safety within football.
Jara, who faced charges related to his own involvement in the incident, received a two-year prison sentence for sexual assault against one victim and six months for an offence against moral integrity. He was also ordered to pay a fine of €6,280 (approximately £5,400). Mir's career in English football saw him join Wolves from Valencia in 2018 before having loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Las Palmas, and Huesca. Most recently, he was on loan at La Liga side Elche.