Valencia’s head coach, Ruben Baraja, announced on Friday that striker Rafa Mir, 27, will miss two upcoming matches following allegations of sexual assault made against him last week.
Mir was taken into custody on September 2nd after two women filed a complaint, accusing him and another man of the crime. A judge has since ordered Mir’s conditional release as investigations continue to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a trial.
On Monday, Valencia confirmed they had initiated disciplinary actions against Mir while maintaining the presumption of innocence. Baraja shared the club’s decision with reporters on Friday.
“It is a moment in which there is a club decision in which I cannot and should not participate because my role is in the sporting sphere, and the club decides to reinstate him,” explained Baraja.
“This week, he is training on the sidelines, and next week he will be reincorporated with the group.
“Once the two-game sanction is over, he will be part of the group like any other player, and I will decide if he plays or not.”
The striker will miss Valencia’s visit to face Atletico Madrid on Saturday in LaLiga and a home clash against Girona next week.
Mir, who has also played for English team Wolves, has denied committing sexual assault.
“Throughout this whole process there have been situations in which it is very difficult to make a Solomonic decision that everyone likes, but we have tried to do things with common sense,” continued Baraja.
“As a coach, it seems to me that an act of indiscipline has to have consequences, not only for him but also for the health of the group.
“This gives us the chance to understand that a person can make mistakes, can have a day when he doesn’t do things right and we have to give him a second chance.”
Mir joined Valencia in July on loan from Sevilla, who signed him in 2021.