Robinho Joins Istanbul Basaksehir To Aid Title Push

Robinho Joins Istanbul Basaksehir To Aid Title Push

By Max Wise

Turkish league leaders, Istanbul Basaksehir, have recruited former Brazil international, Robinho, to aid their push for a first ever league title.

Robinho joins from fellow Super Lig side Sivasspor, although details surrounding the transfer have not been revealed by both clubs.

Robinho, who is now 34 years old, is the third highest scorer in the Turkish league this season with eight goals and two assists in 16 appearances.

“The club has reached an agreement with Demir Group Sivasspor for the transfer of Robson De Souzza (Robinho),” Goksel Gumusdag, chairman of Istanbul Basaksehir, said in a statement.

Robinho will join former Manchester City teammate, Emmanuel Adebayor at the club, while Gael Clichy and Arda Turan are other well-known stars currently in their books.

Istanbul Basaksehir have defied all odds to open a six-point gap at the top of the Turkish Super Lig table with 35 points with half the season still to play.

Robinho comes with a great wealth of experience having played for the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan.

The former Santos forward has played 100 times for the Brazil national team, and was part of the country's FIFA Confederation Cup winning squads of 2005 and 2009, as well as their victorious 2007 Copa America team where he was named best player of the tournament.

Robinho became the first marquee signing of the Sheikh Mansour  era when the Arab bought Manchester City in September 2008, joining for a then-British transfer record fee of £32.5m from Real Madrid.

Robinho was sentenced in absentia to nine years in prison in November 2017 by an Italian court for allegedly participating in a gang rape of an Albanian woman in a Milan nightclub, although he has maintained his innocence and the case is still pending until after the completion of the appeal process.