Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio sentenced for drink-driving

Raúl Asencio, a defender for Real Madrid, has been sentenced for a road safety offence after being caught behind the wheel with a breath alcohol level almost four times the legal limit. The incident took place on August 16 in southern Gran Canaria, when the player was stopped at a routine checkpoint in a leisure area. Three days later, in a fast-track trial held in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, he accepted a €14,400 fine and an eight-month driving ban.

• The checkpoint took place in a leisure area in southern Gran Canaria, with no accident or reckless driving involved.
• The breath alcohol reading was 0.90 mg/l, far above the legal limit of 0.25 mg/l.
• Because the reading exceeded 0.60 mg/l, the administrative offence became a criminal road safety violation.
• The player accepted the penalty: a €14,400 fine and an eight-month driving ban.
• The news broke as Asencio began a separate trial in Las Palmas over alleged privacy violations.

How the alcohol checkpoint caught Asencio in Gran Canaria

On the night of August 16, Asencio was driving his Porsche through a leisure area in southern Gran Canaria when a routine checkpoint forced him to stop. The player was not involved in an accident and was not driving recklessly, but the breath test revealed a level of 0.90 mg/l of alcohol. That result is almost four times the maximum allowed for a standard driver, set at 0.25 mg/l.

Why the alcohol reading turned a fine into a criminal case

In Spain, exceeding 0.60 mg/l in a breath test turns a simple administrative offence into a criminal road safety violation. At 0.90 mg/l, Asencio's case fell squarely within criminal territory. The matter was resolved through a fast-track trial, a common route for offences of this kind when the defendant admits the facts and accepts the proposed sentence.

The sentence: a €14,400 fine and no driving for eight months

On August 19, just three days after the checkpoint, Asencio appeared before the judge in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. He accepted the penalty: a fine of €14,400, spread over four months at a daily rate of €120, plus an eight-month driving ban. As the sentence became final after the fast-track trial, the player is now barred from driving for the period set by the court.

The other trial Asencio faces: privacy violations and image distribution

The drink-driving conviction is not the only legal battle for the Real Madrid defender. Starting this Tuesday and running across three sessions —September 3, 4 and 7— Asencio is standing trial in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria alongside three other former Real Madrid academy players: Ferrán Ruiz, Juan Rodríguez and Andrés García. Prosecutors are seeking sentences totalling two years, six months and one day in prison for two counts of disclosing secrets, offences against privacy, and one count of distributing child pornography.

The player did not take part in the events or the recording, but he is accused of a suspected offence of distributing images.

Apologies to the victims and why the case could not be dropped

Prosecutors were open to withdrawing the charges if the player apologised to the victims during the trial. The injured parties accepted those apologies before a notary and have already received the corresponding compensation. However, the case against Asencio could not be closed before the hearing because it is a semi-public procedure, which means the evidence must be presented in court.

What this conviction means for Asencio's career

Raúl Asencio, 21, is one of the most promising defenders in Real Madrid's academy. He joined the first team's pre-season on July 13, although he was injured at the time of the checkpoint. The road safety conviction does not directly affect his sporting activity, but the eight-month driving ban limits his personal mobility. The club has not publicly commented on the case, which has emerged while the player is attending court in Las Palmas for the separate proceedings.