Where is Ronaldinho now, is he under house arrest and why was sent to prison?

BRAZIL legend Ronaldinho is one of the all-time greats – but somehow he was recently sent to prison.

The Samba sensation never failed to be entertaining for both club and country, retiring in 2018 after a glittering career which featured Copa America, Champions League and World Cup titles.

Ronaldinho alongside Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o in 2005Credit: AFP – Getty

But since hanging up his boots, Ronaldinho has struggled to settle into post-football life and recently found himself locked in a Paraguayan prison.

Why did Ronaldinho go to prison?

OUTSIDE of the beautiful game, Ronaldinho is known for his party lifestyle and beaming grin.

In July 2019, over 50 of his properties were seized – along with his Brazilian and Spanish passports – because of unpaid taxes and fines dating back almost a decade.

According to The Athletic, when prosecutors went through his finances, they found just BRL24 – less than £10 – in his bank account.

Ronaldinho is currently in prison in Paraguay for allegedly trying to enter the country with a fake passportCredit: AP:Associated Press

On March 6 this year, Ronaldinho and his brother were held in Paraguay on suspicion of entering the country with a false passport.

Both he and his 49-year-old sibling Roberto deny entering the country with doctored documents.

Ronaldinho spent his 40th birthday behind bars, although he did get to celebrate with a huge BBQ.

Unsurprisingly, the Samba star continued to play football alongside fellow prisoners and officers – and has even dabbled in carpentry.

When was he released?

RONALDINHO was released from prison on Tuesday April 8.

The Brazilian great and his brother were initially denied bail and potentially faced up to six months inside.

His appeal against a judge’s decision to swap his jail remand for house arrest was knocked back, while his defence was dealt a blow when a businesswoman who fixed his trip to Paraguay failed to show up in court.

Ronaldinho is celebrating his 40th with a BBQ in prison in ParaguayCredit: Twitter @RaphaelSibilla

A source told ESPN: “He plays football every day and teaches the guys he plays with a few tricks.

“From the very first moment he wanted to make sure he integrated with the other inmates and he quickly managed to do that.

“He’s an idol for many of them and they have asked for him to sign hats, shirts and trainers.”

While Nelson Cuevas, who used to play for Argentine giants River Plate recently visited Ronaldinho in his cell and told CNN Radio: “Ronaldinho is not happy at all.

“What distinguishes him is his smile, his good energy, his way of being but today.

“Due to the situation he is going through, that smile is lost because he is in prison which is a place he is not accustomed to.”