Asencio Cleared in Video Case but Faces DUI Conviction
Real Madrid defender Asencio has been fully acquitted by a Spanish court of charges linked to the non-consensual distribution of a sexually explicit video involving a woman and a 16-year-old girl, drawing a legal line under a case that has shadowed him since last year.
On Thursday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the judge confirmed Asencio’s clearance after prosecutors withdrew all allegations against him. The case revolved around a recorded sexual encounter at a Canary Islands beach club in June 2023, a video that later circulated without the consent of those involved.
Asencio was never accused of filming the encounter. His legal risk came from accusations that he had shared the footage. Three of his former Real Madrid youth teammates — Andrés García, Ferrán Ruiz and Juan Rodríguez — admitted their roles in the case, pleading guilty to charges related to the video.
Their punishment is significant, even if they avoid prison. Each received a one-year suspended prison sentence, a two-year restraining order, and a three-year ban on working with minors.
The turning point in the courtroom came when the two young women featured in the video told the judge they had forgiven the players. A statement from the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria court outlined how that moment reshaped the outcome:
“After hearing the victims confirm that they forgave the defendants and the report from the representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office withdrawing the charges against one of them and reducing the sentence sought for the other three, the judge handed down a verdict by consent in accordance with the prosecutor's report.”
The court underlined the finality of the decision: “The ruling is final and definitively concludes the proceedings, as the parties have confirmed that they accept it and will not appeal.”
Legally, Asencio walks away from the video case with a clean slate. His problems, though, are far from over.
DUI Conviction Triggers Club Action
Barely a day before his acquittal in the video case, Asencio was convicted in a separate matter: a traffic offence that has now dragged Real Madrid directly into the disciplinary spotlight.
On Wednesday, a Spanish court found the defender guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. The sentence was clear and costly — an eight-month driving licence suspension and a €14,400 fine.
Real Madrid responded by opening internal disciplinary proceedings. The club has not yet announced any sporting sanctions, but the process places Asencio’s immediate future under scrutiny at Valdebebas.
Head coach José Mourinho addressed the situation on Thursday, framing it in strictly professional terms for now.
“While the proceeding is open I see him as a Real Madrid player,” Mourinho said. “He's injured and will continue to be sidelined for a couple of weeks. That helps me not to have to deal with this problem now.”
For the moment, injury keeps the issue at arm’s length for the coach. It does not remove it.
A Career on Pause
Asencio has not played a single minute this season due to a muscle injury and will remain out for the foreseeable future. The timing could hardly be worse. Since stepping up to the first team at the start of the 2024–2025 campaign, he has built a solid, if unspectacular, platform: 80 appearances in all competitions, two goals, and a FIFA Intercontinental Cup on his CV with Real Madrid.
That body of work once painted him as a dependable squad option, a defender trusted to fill gaps across the back line when required. Now, his next appearance feels less like a routine return and more like a test.
The legal cloud over the explicit video has lifted. The DUI conviction and the club’s disciplinary response now shape the next chapter. When his muscle injury finally heals, Asencio will not just be fighting for minutes.
He will be fighting to convince Mourinho, and the club hierarchy behind him, that he still belongs in a Real Madrid shirt.
