Tag: Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho Closing In On 70 Days Detention In Paraguay

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 07, 2020 Brazilian retired football player Ronaldinho (C) and his brother Roberto Assis (R) arrive at Asuncion’s Justice Palace to appear before a public prosecutor who will decide whether to grant them bail or not following their irregular entry to the country, in Asuncion. (Photo by Norberto DUARTE / AFP)

 

Lawyers of Brazilian great Ronaldinho, are hoping the former world player of the year will be allowed to go home after more than two months of detention in Paraguay over a forged passport.

“We’re hoping to convince the prosecution to allow Ronaldinho and his brother to return to their country. We can do nothing but wait for the investigation to end,” a defense source told AFP.

Former Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain star Ronaldinho and his brother, Robert de Assis Moreira, are facing up to five years in jail if convicted.

The brothers spent more than a month behind bars after they were accused of entering Paraguay in possession of false passports.

The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner and his brother posted bail of $1.6 million and have been under house arrest at the plush Palmaroga Hotel in the historic centre of the Paraguayan capital Asuncion since April 7.

The public prosecutor has six months to investigate the case, and has ordered the arrest of 18 in connection with it.

“There is not one single serious proof that incriminates him,” Rogelio Delgado, president of Paraguay’s footballers union told AFP.

“Although he has a luxury prison, it’s very unfair that he’s still being detained,” added Delgado, a former Paraguay international.

The 40-year-old Ronaldinho has been keeping a low profile since being released from behind bars, not least because of coronavirus lockdown measures.

“I was completely caught off guard when I found out that these passports were not valid,” Ronaldinho told Paraguayan newspaper ABC last month in his only public statement since his release.

Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was crucial in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win.

He and sibling Robert — who is also his business manager — initially encountered no problems after arriving in Asuncion from neighboring Brazil on March 4.

However, shortly after their arrival, the pair were taken into police custody when investigators raided their hotel following discovery that their passports were fake.

Ronaldinho, given a rock star’s welcome to Asuncion by around 2,000 children and teenagers, said the documents had been given to him by sponsors of a charity working with disadvantaged children.

The investigation has since expanded into a case of possible money laundering.

Paraguay Court Releases Ronaldinho From Jail, Places Soccer Star On House Arrest

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 07, 2020 Brazilian retired football player Ronaldinho (C) and his brother Roberto Assis (R) arrive at Asuncion’s Justice Palace to appear before a public prosecutor who will decide whether to grant them bail or not following their irregular entry to the country, in Asuncion. (Photo by Norberto DUARTE / AFP)

 

A Judge in Paraguay on Tuesday ordered the release of Brazilian football great Ronaldinho and his brother into house arrest at an Asuncion hotel.

Judge Gustavo Amarilla told reporters that he had ordered the “continuation of house arrest in a hotel for Ronaldinho and his brother.”

READ ALSO: I’m Inspired By Manchester United’s Direction, Says Nigerian Striker Ighalo

They were jailed almost exactly a month ago to await trial on charges of using false passports to enter Paraguay. Lawyers for the men posted bail of $1.6 million.

Judge Orders Ronaldinho To Remain In Prison

Brazilian retired football player Ronaldinho arrives to Asuncion’s Prosecution to declare after his irregular entry to the country, in Asuncion, Paraguay, on March 5, 2020./ AFP

 

Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will remain in pre-trial detention in Paraguay after being refused bail or house arrest on accusations of entering the country with a fake passport.

A court rejected a request for conditional release for the 39-year-old World Cup winner and his brother, who were spending a fifth day in a police cell in Asuncion, said prosecutor Osmar Legal.

Judge Gustavo Amarilla cited the seriousness of the case and the discovery of new evidence, as well as the involvement of public officials and entrepreneurs who helped Ronaldinho get into Paraguay.

Amarilla acknowledged the harshness of the measures taken against the brothers but said it was his responsibility to ensure the they did not flee the country.

“There are many procedures that need to be done with the presence of both of them,” the judge said.

Legal said he opposed house arrest because the property offered as a guarantee was only valued at $750,000 to $800,000.

“It’s a tiny amount given the economic solvency of one of the (accused),” he said.

The brothers arrived in Asuncion from Brazil on Wednesday and showed their passports to immigration police, who did not immediately notice any problem.

Hours later, when the passports were determined to be fake, investigators raided the football star’s hotel room and seized the brothers’ identity cards and travel documents.

 ‘No crime’ 

Ronaldinho said the passports had been given to him by people who had invited him to attend conferences sponsored by charities working with disadvantaged children.

A Brazilian businessman has also been arrested in connection with the fake travel documents, while two Paraguayan women have been placed under house arrest and the country’s migration director has resigned.

Ronaldinho’s Brazilian lawyer Sergio Queiroz has said the brothers were carrying Brazilian documents and were given the Paraguayan passports “to facilitate the possibility of doing business” in Paraguay.

“Ronaldinho did not commit a crime because he did not know that the passport they gave him was faked,” he said.

However, the body overseeing the creation of companies in Paraguay told AFP there was no regulation preventing Brazilians for applying for a business permit.

The administrator of the charity that invited Ronaldinho, Dalia Lopez, has admitted requesting the passports but said she didn’t know they were forged.

A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

 Money laundering 

Amarilla said the investigation is looking into possible criminal association and money laundering.

He said the brothers’ phones needed to be examined, in order to “know the true intention for their presence” in Paraguay.

Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was a star of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win and played for European giants Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, among others.

There had been rumors he needed to use the Paraguayan document because his real passport had been seized by Brazilian authorities in late 2018 after he failed to pay a $2.5 million fine for building a pier in a protected lake.

But it was returned to him a year later following an agreement with the public prosecutor in Rio Grande do Sul state.

As both countries are part of the MERCOSUR trade bloc, travelers between Brazil and Paraguay need only carry an identity document rather than a passport.

AFP

Detained Ronaldinho ‘Did Not Know’ Passport Was Fake – Lawyer

Brazilian retired football player Ronaldinho arrives at Asuncion's Justice Palace to testify about his irregular entry to the country, in Asuncion, on March 6, 2020. Norberto DUARTE / AFP
Brazilian retired football player Ronaldinho arrives at Asuncion’s Justice Palace to testify about his irregular entry to the country, in Asuncion, on March 6, 2020. Norberto DUARTE / AFP

 

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho did not deliberately use a fake passport and should be released by authorities in Paraguay, his lawyer said.

The two-time world player of the year and his brother Roberto, who was detained with him, spent their third night behind bars in the capital Asuncion on Sunday after using forged travel documents to enter the country.

Their Brazilian lawyer Sergio Queiroz said he would ask for the pair to be released and allowed to return to their home country when they next appear before a judge on Monday.

READ ALSO: Ronaldinho Arrested For Allegedly Using Fake Passport To Enter Paraguay

“Ronaldinho did not commit a crime because he did not know that the passport they gave him was faked,” he said.

Queiroz said that prosecutors had agreed that the footballer had acted in good faith and the decision by a judge to order their detention was unwarranted.

Ronaldinho, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was the star of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win and played for Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Barcelona, among others.

He and his brother arrived in Asuncion from Brazil on Wednesday and showed their passports to immigration police, who did not immediately notice any problem with the documents.

Hours later, when the passports were determined to be fake, investigators raided the room Ronaldinho was staying in and seized the brothers’ identity cards and travel documents.

Ronaldinho said the passports had been given him by people who had invited him to attend conferences sponsored by charities working with disadvantaged children.

 

AFP

Ronaldinho Arrested For Allegedly Using Fake Passport To Enter Paraguay

Brazilian retired football player Ronaldinho arrives at Asuncion’s Prosecution after his irregular entry to the country, in Asuncion, Paraguay, on March 5, 2020./ AFP

 

Former Brazilian football star Ronaldinho and his brother have been detained in Paraguay after allegedly using fake passports to enter the South American country, authorities said Wednesday.

“Ronaldinho will be heard at eight in the morning on Thursday at the prosecutor’s office,” Interior Minister Euclides Acevedo told reporters.

Paraguayan police raided the hotel in Asuncion where the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner was staying during a trip promote a book and found the false documents, the minister said.

READ ALSO: Iheanacho Back As Rohr Invites 24 Players For AFCON Qualifiers

“We are also investigating the responsibility of the authorities who allowed them to enter the country with falsified documents,” Acevedo said.

Ronaldinho and his brother had their Brazilian passports withdrawn in November 2018 after failing to pay a $2.3 million fine for environmental damage incurred during the building of a property in Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil.

Ronaldinho Retires From Football

Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has formally confirmed his retirement from football, more than two years since his last appearance as a professional, reports in Brazil said on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star, a key member of the Brazil side which won the World Cup in 2002, last played in 2015 during a brief stint with Fluminense.

However, his brother and agent Roberto Assis said he would not play again and would now concentrate on tribute events.

“He stopped, we’re going to do something really big, nice, after the World Cup in Russia, probably in August, we’ll do several events in Brazil, Europe and Asia, and of course, we’re watching a game with the Brazilian team,” Assis said.

Ronaldinho’s career began with Gremio in Porto Alegre, his hometown, before he emerged as a star with French giants PSG.

He then spent five years with Barcelona between 2003 and 2008, helping the Catalans win the Champions League in 2006, after being awarded the Ballon D’Or in 2005.

He spent three more seasons in Europe with AC Milan between 2008 and 2011 before returning to Brazil, where he played with Flamengo and Atletico Mineiro.

A season in Mexico with Queretaro was followed by his return to Brazil and Fluminense, for whom he played seven times before cutting short his contract.

For Brazil, Ronaldinho made 97 appearances, scoring 33 goals, including two in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

AFP

Ronaldinho, Giggs Talk Up Pakistan’s Soccer Chances

Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho and former Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs joined other international soccer players for a news conference ahead of an exhibition match in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday.

The group, which also included former French players Robert Pires and Nicolas Anelka and former England goalkeeper David James, arrived in Pakistan under tight security on Saturday.

The visitors took part in two seven-a-side exhibition matches, playing in Karachi on Saturday, which Ronaldinho’s team won 2-1, and a second game in Lahore on Sunday.

The teams, led by former Barcelona attacker Ronaldinho and Giggs, consisted of local football talent alongside the former international players.

Giggs told reporters that it was clear young Pakistani fans had a passion for soccer but also said the country needed to grow its footballing infrastructure to improve the quality of the country’s soccer team.

“From the outside, we only knew about Pakistan with cricket but now we know that football is huge here especially with younger generation, and we have seen yesterday while playing the game the desire, the fans, and the young players of Pakistan have to become footballers and the interest in football,” Giggs said.

He added, “”To progress to the next level you need the best coaches in the world to come here and not bring their philosophy but a framework and infrastructure so the Pakistani culture within the people and the football can flourish and become a better association. I think Pakistan is 200th in the world, I heard. So, to bring that down, you need these things.”

On his part, Ronaldhino said, “Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone for the warmth shown to us all. I want to thank you all. We are here to show the future of football here (Pakistan) and that is the objective. We are very happy to be here.”

Santos Star;Neymar Launches Comic Book

[highlight]Brazilian football star Neymar was on hand for the launch of his own comic book.[/highlight]

The 68-page comic ‘Neymar Jr.’ is scheduled to be released monthly.

The Santos star joins the ranks of Pelé and Ronaldinho in an elite group of soccer stars to have been drawn by Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa.

The strip follows in the tradition of comics such as Roy of the rovers, a British comic about the life of a fictional footballer named Roy Race.

Speculation is rife over whether a heavily-pocketed European club could lure the highest paid Brazilian player away from his native country continue ahead of the 2014 world cup.

Ronaldinho exits Flamengo over unpaid wages

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira popularly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaucho has scored a point against his club Flamengo as a Labour court in Brazil gave the Brazilian a nod to terminate his contract with the club.

According to the two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, the reason for suing Flamengo was because the club has not been able to meet up with the payment of his wages as he is being owed four months unpaid wages, the judge however acceded to the player’s request on this ground.

Ronadlinho’s advisors have started plotting new means of getting the unpaid wages from the Brazilian club after he got a go-ahead to leave the club.

Having pulled out of an agreement concerning his wages, Flamengo is now left to foot the bill for his €500,000 a month wages. An obligation they have been unable to meet.

Arguments between the club and the former Barcelona star over the exhibition of non-professional behaviour went sour after his wages were not paid.

Ronaldinho generated more headlines for missing training and for his social activities which led to his failing to have the desired impact at Flamengo, showing his quality in flashes and above all not being mentioned in the Selecao regular, a chance he used to enjoy for his quality display of football on field.

Ronaldinho inspires Flamengo win

Ronaldinho inspires Flamengo win

A late penalty given  in favour of Flamengo was converted  by Ronaldinho to notch Flamengo up to a win against Duque de Caxias in a match that would have gone either way.

In the same match,goalkeeper Felipe was wheeled off the field with an ambulance after a collision with Duque de Caxias striker Gilcimar in the 20th minute,doctors have passed him to be fine after nursing fears of a head trauma.

Goalkeeper Felipe dived to his right for a low cross into the area and his head hit Gilcimar’s knee as both players went for the ball and he has been ruled out of the team’s Copa Libertadores match against Ecuador’s Emelec on Thursday in Rio.

The first goal for Flamengo came from the boot of former CSKA striker vagner Love who has four goals in his kitty.

Ronaldinho scored Flamengo’s winner with a penalty in the 83rd after Vagner Love was held by a defender inside the area. Vagner Love, who has scored a goal in each of the last four matches, opened the scoring in the 11th, and Rodrigues equalized for Duque de Caxias in the 60th as Flamengo played a man down from the 75th after Argentine playmaker Dario Bottinelli was sent off for a hard foul.