Ronaldinho's bank account frozen despite containing just €6
A magistrate in Rio Grande do Sul has also ordered the confiscation of the former Barça star's passport after he failed to pay a fine of €2 million.
The Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s office has frozen Ronaldinho’s bank accounts after the Canarinha great and his brother, Roberto de Assis, were ordered to pay a fine of two million euros and discovered that the former Barça star has less than six euros to his name.
The fine was levied three years ago when Ronaldinho and his brother were sanctioned for environmental damage caused by a construction project carried out in a protected area in Porto Alegre.
According to Brazilian media outlet UOL, due to the player and his brother’s failure to pay the fine the authorities have taken control of Ronaldinho’s account and found that it contained 24 reales, or just under six euros.
Magistrate orders confiscation of Ronaldinho's passport
A magistrate in Rio Grande do Sul has also ordered the confiscation of Ronaldinho’s passport, noting: “Despite being regularly photographed in various parts of the world, curiously his whereabouts in his country of origin are uncertain and/or unknown.”
In recent weeks Ronaldinho has been in China and Japan carrying out commercial and sponsorship activities while Nike have released a limited edition anniversary set of the player’s Tiempo Legend boots.
Ronaldinho is employed as an ambassador by FC Barcelona and has a charity game scheduled for November 17 at Eintracht Frankfurt’s Commerzbank-Arena which will pit Ronaldinho & Friends against the Adler All Stars.