Brazil legend Roberto Carlos sentenced to three months in jail

Roberto Carlos has been sentenced to three months in jail in Brazil for delays in paying more than £15,000 in child support. The former Real Madrid ace owes the money to former partner Barbara Thurler, who he has two kids with, reports thesun.co.uk. Carlos’ case is being processed under summary secrecy in the family court of the Itaperuna Forum. Brazilian media are saying the World Cup winner claimed financial problems to justify the delay of payment to his ex.

Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos sentenced to three months in Brazilian jail https://t.co/OOdQdwzBLe pic.twitter.com/EAB6W2udjm

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) August 24, 2017

The former Inter Milan star recently had his ninth child with current wife Mariana Lucon. Judge Mayane de Castro said the family rejected a proposal by the 44-year-old to pay the sum in instalments. But the Samba legend’s lawyer Fernando Pittner said the matter would be resolved without Carlos serving time.

Roberto Carlos has been sentenced to prison! He owes thousands in alimony. ???https://t.co/SKZSlJww9m pic.twitter.com/cLCI8wm7Eg— MARCA in English (@MARCAinENGLISH) August 23, 2017

Carlos, who is Real Madrid’s ambassador in Asia and Oceania, is not the first Brazilian to be sentenced to jail for not paying alimony. Edilson Silva Ferreira, who was part of the Brazilian team who won the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup, was sent to jail on two occasions. The striker ran up debts of over £100,000 in maintenance, including interest on three years of arrears. Carlos also recently denied allegations by a German broadcaster that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs in his career. The defender, who won football’s biggest prize in 2002 as well as the Champions League in 1998, 2000 and 2002, has been dragged into a doping investigation in Brazil.