FORMER Rangers star Claudio Caniggio has been warned he could face up to 15 years in prison after being ordered to stand trial for allegedly sexually assaulting his ex-wife.
The former Dundee and Argentina striker tried to stop the proceedings against him after Mariana Nannis accused him of forcing himself on her in the Buenos Aires hotel where they were both living at the time.
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Claudio Caniggia could face up to 15 years in prison Credit: PA: Empics Sport
But the 56-year-old, who played in three World Cups for his country alongside the likes of Diego Maradona, suffered a major setback after the Criminal Division of Argentina’s Court of Appeal rejected his lawyers’ arguments that the charges should not stand.
He will stand trial for “aggravated sexual assault” for the alleged assault that took place in 2018 at the Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires’ upscale Puerto Madero district.
Mariana, the mother of Caniggia’s three children, launched an investigation that led to the prosecution of the retired footballer, claiming he raped her on May 6, 2018, at a five-star hotel.
The striker’s prosecutor, whose divorce from his wife was confirmed in July 2019, a year and a half after they began living separately, claims he forced himself on her after she rejected his advances, hit her and threatened to kill her if she left. to the police.
He was told he could face 15 years in prison if convicted.
Local reports point to testimony from hotel staff and photographs showing Mariana’s injuries as part of the evidence against him.
Caniggia, who has been banned from leaving Argentina since June, has always denied any wrongdoing
The former football player continued to date model and influencer Sofia Bonelli, who at 29 is almost 30 years younger than him.
Caniggia played for both River Plate and Boca Juniors in his homeland.
He became a cult legend in many clubs where he played.
His goal against Dunfermline in 2003 helped Rangers win the title.
The striker also scored against arch-rivals Celtic in the League Cup final that year – after having previously spent one season in Dundee from 2000 to 2001.
Caniggia scored 16 goals in his 50 appearances for Argentina.
He played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and scored four goals in eight games before returning to the tournament in 2002 after being frozen out of the national team for several years after refusing to cut his long hair under Daniel Passarella’s strict regime.
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