On Wednesday night, Raul Asencio is set to start for Champions League holders Real Madrid against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield.
The 21-year-old centre-back made his full debut in Madrid’s 3-0 win against Leganes on Sunday, and over the weekend the club’s president Florentino Perez highlighted Asencio’s involvement with Carlo Ancelotti’s first-team squad in the speech that he gave at the general assembly.
Coverage in the Spanish media of his rise through the ranks at Madrid has, for the most part, been positive.
But Asencio will walk out at Anfield representing the most famous club in world football while under investigation — along with three other former Real Madrid youth players — for allegedly sharing a sex tape involving two women that was recorded in Gran Canaria last summer.
Those two women filed complaints and the three other players (Ferran Ruiz, 21, Juan Rodriguez, 22, and Andres Garcia, 21) were arrested in September 2023, with Asencio called to give testimony as a witness. After speaking to the Civil Guard (Spanish law enforcement), Asencio then became part of their investigation.
At the time, Real Madrid said that “a Castilla player and three Real Madrid C players” had made statements to the Civil Guard “in relation to a complaint about the alleged broadcasting of a private video via WhatsApp”. “When the club has detailed knowledge of the facts, we will take the appropriate measures,” it added.
Ruiz, Rodriguez and Garcia all left the club this summer. Ruiz moved to La Liga side Girona and made his first-team debut in November, after which the club’s sporting director Quique Carcel said, “I respect the presumption of innocence,” in relation to the investigation.
Rodriguez and Garcia joined teams in Spain’s third tier, Tarazona and Alcorcon respectively, while Asencio has spent time training with Ancelotti’s first team and Castilla (their second team) since July.
There are no rules in Spain regarding whether players can appear for their clubs while under investigation by law enforcement — it is up to each club to decide.
The court in Gran Canaria confirmed to The Athletic this week that the investigation is ongoing. A statement from the High Court of Justice of Gran Canaria said: “The judge is investigating four footballers linked to Real Madrid as alleged perpetrators of crimes of disclosure of secrets and dissemination of pornography.”
Real Madrid have acknowledged that Asencio remains under investigation, while a person close to the player declined to comment when approached by The Athletic this week with the statement from the court.
In December 2023, Asencio was called up for the senior team’s match against Alaves, but hours later was removed from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. When asked by The Athletic, Madrid said it was because Asencio had to testify in the case early the next day and did not want to jeopardise the summons.
Asencio was part of Real Madrid’s pre-season tour to the United States and Ancelotti made it clear in August that he saw the 21-year-old as an option this season. When asked whether it was risky not to sign another centre-back in the transfer window, he said: “No. We have resources there. The young players we have are very good, like Asencio, and there is also (Aurelien) Tchouameni.”
Madrid’s injuries have snowballed this season, particularly in defence. First-choice centre-back Eder Militao tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) earlier this month, while promising centre-back Joan Martinez and right-back Dani Carvajal, who can cover in the middle, suffered the same injury earlier this season. David Alaba is another centre-back option but is yet to return from the ACL injury he sustained last year, and Tchouameni remains out with an ankle injury.
This injury crisis leaves Antonio Rudiger as the club’s only senior, fit centre-back.
Asencio made his club debut against Osasuna in early November, replacing the injured Militao in the first half and setting up Bellingham to score in a 4-0 win. Afterwards, Ancelotti was full of praise. “Asencio has played very well, with personality, giving the assist for the second goal,” he said. “It’s a nice surprise. We have to be grateful for the work they have done with him in the youth system, particularly (Castilla coach) Raul.”
Then on Sunday, after his full debut against Leganes, the Italian said: “He’s a player who plays with maturity, he’s not afraid or worried. He is always well positioned, the youth team has done a good job with him.”
Ancelotti spoke with similar certainty at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. If Asencio plays at Anfield, it will be the most high-profile match of his career.
(Top photo: Diego Souto/Getty Images)
