This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
Former football star Ronaldinho is facing financial difficulties in Brazil, with a court in southern Brazil restricting his ability to sell 57 of his real estate properties due to unpaid debts.
According to a report by Folha de S.Paulo on July 29, 2019, Ronaldinho owes 9.5 million reais (£2.06 million) in unpaid environmental fines after illegally building a pier at his lake house in Porto Alegre.
Additionally, creditors have taken action to recover 7.8 million reais in other debts, as per the report.
The court's decision also includes confiscating Ronaldinho's passport until the cases are resolved.
When contacted by Reuters, the judge in Porto Alegre declined to comment on the matter, citing judicial secrecy rules.
Ronaldinho's lawyer denied the player's assets were under restriction but declined to comment further due to the judicial secrecy ruling.
At 39 years old, Ronaldinho retired from football in 2015 after a successful career with various clubs in Brazil and Europe.
During his playing days, he was twice voted FIFA player of the year and won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002.
