Rafa Mir balances Elche revival with legal cases as Valencia visit Martínez Valero | OneFootball

Rafa Mir meets Valencia at 16:15 on Saturday at the Martínez Valero, his resurgence with Elche set against unresolved off-field cases. For the forward, these fixtures are never just another game.

According to AS, he debuted for Valencia in the Champions League at 18 against Zenit St Petersburg under Nuno Espirito Santo in November 2015, but never settled and moved to Las Palmas, Huesca and Sevilla. A loan return to Mestalla last season quickly soured amid accusations of several sexual offences and subsequent injuries, and he was not useful for Carlos Corberán.

Elche offered a lifeline and he has seized it on the pitch. He has eight goals, his third-best top-flight haul, and aims to at least match his second-best of 10 from 2020-21, his debut season at Sevilla. He feels valued, and the club are weighing an option to buy.

Away from football, prosecutors sought 10 and a half years in early March for an alleged aggravated sexual assault and injuries, while weeks later his lawyer requested acquittal, submitting two previously unseen videos. The case remains open, awaiting trial.

Mir has also been accused by Espanyol’s Omar El Hilali of a racist insult, “Viniste en patera”. He was not sanctioned for that incident and the matter is still under review. The direct duel could drag his old club back into the relegation fight, and he has expressed affection for Valencia, wishing them well after missing the reverse fixture through injury.

Source: AS