The problem of Raul Asencio

Raúl Asencio was substituted at half-time in Real Madrid's cup match at Anoeta after hearing chants wishing him dead. Ancelotti later confirmed that the player was affected and left him on the bench this Saturday in Seville. The Champions League clash against Atlético can serve as a cover, an excuse for being substituted against Betis, but it is impossible to hide the fact that Asencio has a problem.

In February, the Provincial Court of Las Palmas rejected a new appeal filed by the defense of the player who is being investigated for his alleged involvement in the distribution of a video with sexual content with a minor under 16 years of age. The ruling stated: "It is rational to conclude, obviously with the provisional nature of this procedural moment, that in effect the now appellant received on his mobile phone in June 2023 a video with explicit sexual content starring a minor under 16 years of age, which far from deleting, he exhibits at least to another person." There is no sentence, but there is a judicial process in which Asencio remains under investigation for having possibly committed a crime and all the displays of support he is receiving from his president, coach and teammates, including media outlets that trivialize and minimize violence against women, are achieving just the opposite effect to that expected.

In addition to all this, the unusual awareness of Madrid's rival football fans for an alleged case of gender-based violence is also not credible; That they are using him as a weapon is obvious, but Asencio's main problem is not this - although it is as reprehensible as it is logical that it affects him and it hurts that they sing to him "die for me" - but that despite the attempts of his lawyers, the judges insist that there are signs of a crime in his conduct and the effort to position him as a victim is not working.

The mistake was also to believe that by wearing the Real Madrid shirt the story could be controlled and that he would continue playing as if nothing was happening while the usual speakers praised his undoubted footballing virtues ignoring the rest. Because yes, it happens, it is as serious as it seems and denying it at this point is as useless as it is counterproductive.