Araujo sentenced to nine months, but may not serve prison time

Las Palmas striker Sergio Araujo has been sentenced to nine months in prison for refusing to take a breathalyser test, but he may not have to serve any time behind bars.

Araujo was also banned from driving for two years following an incident that occurred in the town of Ingenio on September 26, two days after he scored a late equaliser in a 2-2 home LaLiga draw with Real Madrid.

Reports in Spain say Araujo’s defence attorney has appealed the sentence.

Back in September, Las Palmas president Miguel Angel Ramirez told Onda Cero the club would stand by the Argentine even if he was convicted.

“Sergio’s issue is non-sporting related and it will be the courts to determine if he has been negligent and the severity of the offense,” Ramirez said.

“If Araujo is found to have been negligent, we will open disciplinary proceedings for that but we are not going to hang him in the town square.

“We are not going to end our contractual agreement with him, we are not going to throw him out of the club.

“He is a valued member of this team and he knows that besides having to answer as any other citizen to the law, he will also have to be accountable to the club.

“We have internal regulations in the club that will be started.”

A court spokesperson said jail time was unlikely as the sentence is less than two years.

Araujo scored 25 goals in 43 league appearances to help fire Las Palmas to promotion in 2014-15 while on loan from Boca Juniors.

He netted five league goals in 30 outings last term as Las Palmas finished 11th in LaLiga and has two in 10 top-flight games for a team that sits ninth in the table after 11 matches.