Ronaldinho beaten by convicted murderer and robber in a game of footvolley doubles in Paraguay prison
RONALDINHO’S golden touch during a prison footvolley game deserted him after he lost a doubles against inmates convicted of robbery and murder.
Footage of the 40-year-old former Barcelona and AC Milan star showing off his skills with a series of deft right-foot touches and winning headers went viral on Sunday.
Ronaldinho was partnered with a prison worker during their first encounter.
But local reports said they lost a second contest against a pair of disgraced former police officers.
They were named as killer Edgar Ramirez Otazu, 36 and robber Yoni David Mereles Martinez, 33.
The first man is said to be serving an 18-year prison sentence for the murder of a man called Fabio Ramon Cuenca Gimenez, shot in the head during a May 2010 pitched battle after a music festival.
The second man is reportedly serving a 10-year prison sentence for robbery, after cash stolen by a security van driver was then taken by a number of corrupt serving police officers.
The company Ronaldinho is now keeping in the prison on the outskirts of the Paraguayan capital Asuncion shows how far he has fallen from his heyday when he won two Fifa World World Player of the Year Awards as well as a Ballon d’Or.
As well as footvolley, the retired footballer has been keeping himself fit by playing football.
He was videoed scoring five goals and set up the other six in an 11-2 win for his side during a prison kick around earlier this month.
A guard lent him the trainers he played in after he was persuaded to join in the friendly and showed off his skills in a white vest top and black and white swim shorts.
Ronaldinho is also said to be spending time outside his cell in a carpentry workshop.
He celebrated his 40th birthday on March 21 with a low-key barbecue in a celebration which was a world away from his traditional high-profile parties when he was a footballer.
One, for his 26th birthday, went on at Barcelona nightclub Sol till 6am when he left in a Hummer.
Ronaldinho has been warned he could remain in jail for six months on remand before a decision is taken on whether to put him on trial.
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He was arrested at a five-star hotel in Asuncion on March 6 with his brother Roberto de Assis and accused of entering Paraguay with a doctored passport falsely showing he was a naturalised Paraguayan citizen.
Investigators are probing whether the false passport scandal, which has led to the arrests of more than a dozen people was linked to an attempted money laundering operation.
Former Paraguay striker Nelson Cuevas, who has visited Ronaldinho in prison and was part of a failed bid to put him up at his home so he could leave prison on house arrest, said at the weekend the former football star had lost his famous smile.