A Colombia keeper involved in kidnapping, an Arsenal legend four times over the limit… and a Brazil icon jailed for using a fake passport – as Dani Alves faces up to NINE YEARS in prison, here are the footballers who have spent times behind bars 

• Dani Alves faces nine years in prison for ‘sexually assaulting’ a woman  
• Several other high profile names in football have spent time in jail  
• Nobody’s fooled by the nature of Man United’s performances this season – IAKO

Dani Alves could face nine years in prison if the former Barcelona and Brazil player is found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a nightclub.  

The 40-year-old was arrested on January 20 and has been held in custody since then after he was denied bail on two separate occasions.

Marca reports that Alves could abscond back to Brazil, a country which does not extradite citizens abroad.  

According to the EFE news agency, prosecutors could force Alves to pay £130,000 in damages and receive 10 years of probation along with a prison sentence, but Alves has denied any wrongdoing. 

But as the former Sevilla, Juventus and PSG defender has now been ordered to stand trial, Mail Sport takes a look at other footballers who have spent time in prison. 

Dani Alves could face nine years in prison, a £130,000 fine and 10 years of probation if he is found guilty of sexual assault

The ex-Barcelona player has been held in custody since January and is now set to stand trial

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Duncan Ferguson 

The Scotland international’s football career spanned from 1990 to 2006, with Ferguson enjoying spells with Dundee United, Rangers, Newcastle and Everton.

While he is most well known for helping lead Everton to the 1995 FA Cup, before going on to take a coaching position with the Merseyside outfit, off the pitch Ferguson ran into several problems with police. 

Four assault charges were made against him during his playing career, with three of those charges resulting in fines and a probation order. The fourth saw him spend three months in prison after he was found guilty of assaulting Raith Rovers’ defender John McStay. 

The incident occurred on April 16, 1994, while the striker was playing for rangers.  The 51-year-old had headbutted McStay after they clashed on field, with Ferguson making history to become the first footballer to ever be jailed for an on-field incident. 

Duncan Ferguson was given a three-month prison sentence in 1994 for assault

Rene Higuita 

Colombian goalkeeper Higuita was imprisoned in 1993 after he became involved in a kidnapping which would ultimately see him miss out on playing in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. 

The 57-year-old, who is renowned for the scorpion kick he performed during a friendly against England in 1995, had close links to the notorious drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. 

After the drug trafficker Carlos Molina’s daughter was kidnapped, Higuita acted as a middle-man between the latter and Escobar, to secure the release of Molina’s daughter. According to GOAL he was paid for his services with it being an offence in Colombia to profit from a kidnapping. 

He spent seven months behind bars and would be released in time for the 1994 World Cup but was not fit for selection. 

Rene Higuita was jailed in 1993 after he became involved in a kidnapping that would ultimately see him miss out on playing for Colombia at the 1994 World Cup

Tony Adams 

Former England and Arsenal centre-back, Adams, spent 57 days in HMP Chelmsford, after he was jailed in 1990. 

It came after the 57-year-old had crashed his car into a wall in the village of Rayleigh in Essex. He was breathalyzed and was subsequently found to be four-times over the legal drink-drive limit. 

While Adams, who has been open on his struggles with alcoholism in the past, was sentenced to four months in jail by Southend Crown Court but was released after serving half of his sentence on February 15, 1991. 

He returned to play for Arsenal the following month, playing in all of their remaining 13 league matches to help the Gunners go unbeaten that season and win the First Division title. 

Tony Adams was jailed in 1990 and spent 57 days at HMP Chelmsford for drunk driving

George Best 

The Northern Irish footballer is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers to have played for Manchester United, amassing 155 goals from 414 appearances across all competitions. 

But Best was sentenced to a 12-week prison sentence in 1984 after he had been found guilty of drunk driving and assaulting a police officer. 

He had also failed to answer bail and subsequently served two months of his jail sentence at Ford Open Prison. 

Ronaldinho 

Former Barcelona and Brazil star Ronaldinho also found himself in trouble in 2020 after he spent 32 days in a Paraguayan jail. 

It came after the 43-year-old and his brother, Roberto, were charged over attempting to enter the country with fake passports. 

They had faced six months jail time, but were subsequently put on house arrest in the country’s capital, Asuncion, after paying a £1.3million bond. 

He had reportedly been visiting Paraguay to open a free mobile health clinic for children.

But Ronaldo had denied using a forged passport and had insisted that he did not know that he had committed an offence.  

Ronaldinho spent 32 days in a Paraguayan jail after he and his brother were charged for attempting to enter the country with fake passports 

Adam Johnson

In 2016, Johnson was sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of grooming. 

The former England international, who also played for Sunderland, Man City and Middlesbrough, served just half of that time after he was released from HMP Moorland in March of 2019. 

Adam Johnson was sentenced to six years in prison back in 2016

Joey Barton 

Former Newcastle and Man City player, Barton, was recently sacked as Bristol Rovers boss after he called rival manager Steve Evans a ‘fat man’ and a ‘weeble’. 

The 41-year-old, who’s playing career spanned 14 years between 2003 and 2017, where he made 269 Premier League appearances, found himself facing jail time back in 2008. 

Barton has been embroiled by several controversial incidents and disciplinary problems, but was found guilty of common assault and affray during an incident that had occurred in Liverpool City Centre. 

He had been caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground before repeatedly punching him and leaving him with broken teeth.  

It came just after he had moved from Man City to Newcastle in 2007, with Barton being handed a six-month sentence, serving just 74 days of that time at HMP Manchester. 

Barton had received a four-month suspended sentence later that year, after he had also assaulted former Man City team-mate Ousmane Dabo. 

Joey Barton spent 74 days behind bars after being found guilty of an assault in 2007

Lee Hughes 

Former West Brom striker, Hughes was jailed for six years in 2004 for causing death by dangerous driving. 

Hughes, who’s career spanned from 1995 to 2022, with the 47-year-old also playing for Coventry, Oldham and Blackpool, had crashed his car near his home in Meriden, near Coventry. 

He caused the death of Douglas Graham, who travelling in the back of the car, before fleeing the scene on foot. 

Hughes was released from prison in 2007 after serving three years of his sentence.  

Lee Hughes was jailed for six years in 2004 for causing death by dangerous driving 

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