A 36-year-old former footballer has been informed that he will have to serve time in a jail in Porto Alegre, Brazil unless he pays off a £45,000 child maintenance debt. The decision was made by a family court judge in the retired footballer’s home city but was only revealed to the public recently.

The player, who had stints with Manchester United, Fiorentina, and Internacional, has been given the option of serving 30 days behind bars in a ‘semi-open’ regime, allowing him to work or study outside the jail during the day but return at night. This information was reported by the Brazilian news website *GZH.

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Four years ago, the footballer was embroiled in controversy after being accused of laundering £4.7 million through cryptocurrencies. It is unclear whether the investigation into this matter is ongoing.

Neither the player nor his lawyer have provided any comment on the recent court decision. In an unrelated statement, the former footballer also mentioned his gratitude towards a benefactor who had supported him before.

He suggested that they had lived at Ronaldo’s house for almost a year and were well taken care of during that time. This included having their needs met and access to various amenities and facilities.

The former international player, who was capped eight times at the senior level by Brazil, did not address these prior comments in the context of his current legal situation. Additionally, community members are offered special deals, promotions, and advertisements from the website and its partners.

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