By EFE
The Court of Appeal of Florence has confirmed the conviction of six years in prison imposed on the Italian footballer Manolo Portanova for participating in a gang rape of a 21-year-old girl in 2021according to local media reports this Friday.
Portanova, 25 years old and currently a player for Reggiana (serie B), has announced that will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court: “It’s absurd. I’ve been living in an incredible situation for five years. I’m innocent and I’ve presented evidence. I won’t stop because I believe in justice“, he declared at the end of the hearing in the Florentine court.
The Court of Appeal of Firenze has confirmed the sentence to six years of confinement for Manolo Portanova. The Calciatore della Reggiana is accused of sexual violence by groups and injuries, including all of Alessio Langella and another 2 people, and the danger of a 26-year-old student:… pic.twitter.com/dvEyEQF7HH
— Cronache di spogliatoio (@CronacheTweet) April 16, 2026
This Italian footballer, whose case has been very controversial in Italy, was sentenced to six years in prison in the first instance for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old student with his uncle and a third party at a party in the center of Siena (north) in May 2021.
Portanova would have gone to a room accompanied by the student where the rest of those involved appeared to sexually assault her. while recording with cell phonesas reported by the Italian media at the time.
The conviction caused Genoa, the team he played for at the time (also Serie B), to terminate his contract, also forced by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), which suspended him indefinitely.
Manolo Portanova, the calciatore della Reggiana condannato also in Appeal to six years of imprisonment for sexual violence of groups https://t.co/mpOMtRROTe
— Corriere di Bologna (@corrierebologna) April 17, 2026
The player filed an appeal and the FIGC National Court declared itself incompetent so the player was legally registered at Reggiana, team from the Emilia-Romagna region, where he has continued to play.
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