When a footballer is convicted of a serious crime, the public asks one question. Is he going to prison? People in my profession ask another. What happens to his contract?
On June 15, 2026, a court in Valencia sentenced striker Rafa Mir to eight and a half years in prison for sexual assault and bodily harm. The sentence is not final and can be appealed. But it raises a question football rarely explains clearly. What is the contractual fallout of a criminal conviction?
The answer lies in the concept of just cause. Under the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, and under most domestic employment frameworks, a contract can be terminated for just cause when one party commits a serious breach.
A criminal conviction that brings the club into disrepute, or makes it impossible for the player to fulfil his obligations, can constitute that breach. A player imprisoned for years quite obviously cannot train or play.
But it is rarely automatic, and acting too fast is dangerous. When Manchester City suspended Benjamin Mendy without pay after he was charged with sexual offences in 2021, they withheld around £11.5 million across nearly two years. Mendy was then acquitted of all charges across two trials.
He took City to an employment tribunal, and in 2024 the judge ruled the club had unlawfully withheld wages for 17 of the 22 months, leaving him owed an estimated £8.5 million.
That is the lesson. A charge is not a conviction. Withholding pay or terminating before a verdict can expose a club to a multi-million pound claim of its own.
Mir continued playing throughout his case, on loan to Elche, for exactly this reason. Clubs that act early risk acting unlawfully. Clubs that wait risk public condemnation for standing by him.
This is the uncomfortable space sports lawyers work in. The law moves at its own pace. Public outrage does not.
Hit my DM if you would like to talk or have any questions.
My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.
🚨🚨| BREAKING: Rafa Mir has been sentenced to 𝟖.𝟓 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 in prison for sexual assault and bodily harm. ⚖️🇪🇸
(7) years for sexual assault (18) months for bodily harm.
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