Asencio Cleared of Charges but Faces DUI Conviction at Real Madrid

A Spanish court has fully cleared Real Madrid defender Asencio of criminal charges over the non-consensual distribution of a sexually explicit video, drawing a line under a case that has shadowed him since last summer. His problems, though, are far from over.

On Thursday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, prosecutors formally withdrew all allegations against Asencio, leading to his acquittal. The case revolved around a recorded sexual encounter at a Canary Islands beach club in June 2023 involving a woman and a 16-year-old girl.

Asencio was never accused of filming the incident. The allegation was that he had shared the footage. That accusation is now gone.

Three of his former Real Madrid youth teammates — Andrés García, Ferrán Ruiz and Juan Rodríguez — did not walk away so cleanly. They pleaded guilty and accepted a one-year suspended prison sentence, a two-year restraining order, and a three-year ban on working with minors.

The turning point came in court when the two young women featured in the video told the judge they forgave the players. A statement from the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria court explained 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."

So the criminal case is closed. The stain on Asencio’s record from this particular investigation has been wiped away.

But just as one legal cloud lifted, another storm broke.

DUI Conviction Triggers Club Action

On Wednesday, in a separate matter, Asencio was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. The sentence was firm: an eight-month driving licence suspension and a €14,400 fine.

Real Madrid reacted quickly. The club has opened internal disciplinary proceedings against the defender, a move that pushes his future at the Bernabéu into uncertain territory.

Head coach José Mourinho addressed the situation on Thursday, drawing a clear line between the legal process and his immediate footballing decisions.

"While the proceeding is open I see him as a Real Madrid player. 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," Mourinho said.

It was a blunt, pragmatic assessment. Asencio’s injury keeps him out of the matchday spotlight and, for the moment, spares Mourinho a selection dilemma that would be as political as it is sporting.

From Promising Rise to Reputation Repair

Asencio has not played this season due to a muscle injury and will remain unavailable in the short term. The timing is cruel. Since earning his first-team promotion at the start of the 2024–2025 campaign, he has quietly built a solid role in the squad: 80 appearances in all competitions, two goals, and a FIFA Intercontinental Cup winner’s medal with Real Madrid.

That trajectory once suggested a steady, upward curve — a defender growing into the shirt, trusted in rotation, edging towards something more permanent.

Now the picture is very different.

The court in Las Palmas has cleared his name in the explicit video case. The DUI conviction has immediately reopened questions about his judgment and professionalism. Real Madrid’s disciplinary process will run its course, and when his muscle injury heals, he will not just be fighting for minutes on the pitch.

He will be fighting for trust — from Mourinho, from the club hierarchy, and from a fanbase that has seen too many careers at this level unravel for less.