RONALDINHO is “sad” in prison, says the ex-Paraguay striker who took a selfie with the Brazil legend as he sat in jail.
Former River Plate frontman Nelson Cuevas paid a visit to the football icon – who is behind bars for allegedly using a fake passport to enter Paraguay.
Ronaldinho is said to be ‘sad’ in jail but managed a smile alongside former Paraguay striker CuevasCredit: Twitter
And he said that although Ronaldinho is in a relatively nice part of the prison, the World Cup winner is a shadow of his former self in the confines of his cell.
Cuevas, 40, spoke with Argentine newspaper Infobae after his visit to Ronaldinho and said: “He is sad. Hopefully, he can get out soon.
“He is just sad because of the situation. His lawyers are handling the rest. I hope he can get out of there soon.”
Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto de Assis are being kept in a ‘specialised unit’ – the part of a jail where high-profile people are sent to be kept apart from the rest of the prison population.
Paraguayan Minister of Interior Euclides Acevedo has said that the former Barcelona man is in “not a penitentiary but almost a hotel”.
And footage has emerged of him taking part in a futsal tournament with other inmates.
He is sad. I hope he can get out of there soon
Cuevas on Ronaldinho being in prison
Cuevas agreed with the notion that Ronaldinho had a relatively cushy experience behind bars.
He said: “In comparison to other penitentiaries, yes.
“But it’s not what he’s used to. The place is big and he was able to play football too. He is with his brother in a room with two beds.”
Cuevas, who played for Paraguay in two World Cups from 2002, shared his selfie with Ronaldinho to his 82,000 Twitter followers.
And he wrote alongside the image: “I want to give tremendous strength to this genius who made history in world football and say that there are Paraguayans who support him with everything!”
Ronaldinho, 39, has been warned he faces up to six months behind bars, with the investigation into his alleged use of fake passports underway.
Ronaldinho is alleged to have used a fake passport to enter ParaguayCredit: AP:Associated Press
His arrest follows a U-turn by prosecutors who initially indicated they were happy for the Brazilian to escape trial and receive a fine.
Bizarrely, there were claims that Lionel Messi was willing to help out his old Barca team-mate by hiring lawyers to fight his case at a cost of £3.25million.
However, according to Catalan publication Sport, Messi’s advisors have insisted that, while the Argentine superstar sympathises with Ronaldinho’s situation, he will NOT be helping financially.
Watch Ronaldinho play in first prison Futsal match as Brazil legend scores FIVE in 11-2 win after fake passport arrest
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
