Former Manchester City star Robinho has been ordered to hand over his passport while authorities see if he should serve a nine-year sentence for rape in Brazil.

The 39-year-old was convicted in Italy in 2017 for his part in a group sex attack four years earlier while he was playing for AC Milan.

Italian prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant after the country’s top court upheld the Brazilian’s sentence in 2022.

Judge Francisco Falcao “prohibited the sportsman from leaving the country. He has to deliver his passport to the court within five days”, a statement from a Brazilian court said on Friday.

Brazil does not extradite its citizens when they are sentenced in other countries and Italy has asked for Robinho to serve his sentence in his home country.

There is no deadline for a decision of Brazil’s superior court of justice to decide if he will serve the sentence in Brazil.

Robinho lives in Santos near Sao Paulo.

Mr Falcao “took into account the seriousness of the crime, the international repercussions of the case and the player’s economic condition, which could facilitate an eventual escape from Brazil”, the statement added.

The victim was celebrating her 23rd birthday, Italian media reports said.

Robinho denied the charges.

The footballer began his career at Santos before playing for Real Madrid, City and Milan, among other clubs.

The forward returned for a third stint with Santos in 2020 but his contract was suspended less than a week later after a sponsor cut ties with the club “out of respect for women”.