Aris Thessaloniki has officially announced the signing of Spanish striker Rafa Mir on a season-long loan from Sevilla FC, with an agreement in place to extend the deal for a further year until the summer of 2028. Mir's contract with the Andalusian club runs until the summer of 2027.
In its announcement, Aris said Rafael Mir Vicente, to give his full name, was born on June 18, 1997, in Murcia, Spain. The club called him a talented forward who came through Valencia's academy before earning an early debut for the first team.
Career before Aris
Mir moved to England's Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018. He then went out on loan to Las Palmas, Huesca and Nottingham Forest, with his spell at Huesca standing out in particular, where he scored 25 goals in 57 appearances, according to the Aris statement.
Those performances drew interest from Sevilla, who signed him in the summer of 2021. He went on to make dozens of appearances for the Andalusian club in LaLiga, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, and was part of the squad that won the Europa League in 2023. In the summer of 2024, he returned to Valencia on loan.
International career
At international level, Mir came through Spain's youth national teams and won the European Under-21 Championship in 2019. He was also part of the Spanish squad that took the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Aris noted in its announcement.
The club closed its statement by welcoming Mir to the Aris family, saying that as of that day Rafael Mir Vicente belonged to Aris, and addressing him in Spanish as "Bienvenido, Rafa."
Mir's first comments as an Aris player
Speaking on the club's official website after signing his contract, Mir said he was excited to join Aris and was really looking forward to starting training with his new teammates. He said he was eager for everyone to work together so that, along with the fans, they could achieve great things this season.
Mir thanked Aris supporters for welcoming him at the airport and thanked the whole club organization for the warmth of his reception. He said he would give his best for Aris and that his goal was to score as many goals as he could to help the team meet its targets. He added that he did not want to say anything else, and that he was looking forward to meeting the fans and playing at the club's stadium.
Valencia court conviction
On June 15, 2026, Mir was found guilty by the Valencia Regional High Court of rape and sexual assault, in a case that drew intense attention in Spain. He was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, and a friend of his was also found guilty and sentenced to two and a half years.
According to details that emerged from the case, the Spanish footballer and his friend had met two women at a nightclub. The group then went together to Mir's home, where the women allege they were sexually assaulted.
Mir's legal team has filed an appeal against the ruling. The player denies all the allegations and maintains that the encounter was consensual.
