Prison FC. Which footballers have had to go to prison for their crimes?

They have millions in their accounts, millions of fans and basically a dream life. But power and fame cloud some footballers’ minds and they commit crimes. Which footballers have gone to prison in the past?

Dani Alves

The most recent case. Dani Alves has spent the last week in custody without bail as he faces charges of raping a 23-year-old girl at a disco in Barcelona. The evidence so far looks fairly conclusive, things are not going well for Alves.

Ronaldinho

Legendary Brazilian footballer who gave joy with his smile and footballing prowess. But also a man who served nearly six months in prison in Paraguay for forging his passport.

Diego Armando Maradona

The Argentine god was arrested in 1991 for consuming too much cocaine, and was released a short time later. Three years later he was taken into custody again because of a problem with journalists.

René Higuita

Famous Colombian goalkeeper made famous by the scorpion kick. “They threw me in jail and after eight days they came to tell me I was there because of the anti-kidnapping law. It sounded to me like, ‘Give us Pablo Escobar and you haven’t committed any crime.’ They didn’t even do that to the worst drug lord, only to Higuito,” the legendary Colombian goalkeeper recalled.

Gabriel Cartoz

Not such a well-known player, but an even more interesting story. Gabriel Cortez played for the Ecuadorian club Barelona Sporting, only to go to prison in April 2022. The reason? He was part of a gang of sicarios, the drug cartel hitmen that Pablo Escobar surrounded himself with.

Adam Johnson

A former professional footballer who had a decent career, playing for Manchester City, then Sunderland. In 2016 he was sentenced to six years for having sex with a minor. He eventually served only three years.

Benjamin Mendy

Another well-known and well-publicised story. Mendy spent six months in jail from August 2021 to January 2022, when he was first granted bail. He spent Christmas 2021 in Manchester’s toughest jail among murderers, where he was allegedly moved for security reasons.

Mendy was charged with the rape of 7 women and sexual aggression. There seemed to be no way out. But surprisingly, the French footballer avoided punishment in the end, a judge acquitted him last month.

Nizar Tramelsi

Former Tunisian professional footballer who also played for German side Düsseldorf. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2003 for his involvement in the Islamic terrorist movement Al-Qaeda. He was also an accomplice in the attack on the twin towers.

Bruno Fernandes de Souza

The Brazilian goalkeeper was Flamengo’s number one goalkeeper from 2006 to 2010 and played 234 games. However, in 2013 he was sentenced to 22 years in prison for ordering the murder of his partner. The body of the young girl was never found.

Freddy Rincon

The Colombian footballer made it all the way to Real Madrid, where he started 21 games. In 2007, he spent 4 months in prison for drug trafficking.

Source: MARCA