Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson faces 30 days in prison unless he pays £142,000 in unpaid child maintenance. The 37-year-old Brazilian has been warned he will be held behind bars if he fails to make the payment.
The court decision was made on September 3 by a family court judge in Anderson's home city of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The ruling only emerged this week, revealing the substantial debt owed as of July 28.
Prison conditions await
Anderson will be confined under a strict 'closed regime' with close supervision if space is available in local jails. If prisons are overcrowded, he would face a 'semi-open regime' allowing him out for work or study during the day but requiring him to return at night.
His lawyer Julio Cezar Coitinho Jr confirmed the case involves minors but declined further comment due to confidentiality orders. Anderson was reported to be father to four children in 2015 and nine children by early 2024.
Previous legal troubles
Daily Star reports Anderson was previously investigated for £4.7 million cryptocurrency money laundering allegations five years ago. The current debt amounts to just over one million Brazilian reais.
Anderson has not made any official comment about the latest court ruling. The former midfielder retired from football at just 31 after a career that included four Premier League titles with Manchester United.
Manchester United glory days
Anderson signed for United from Porto in July 2007, becoming the club's second Brazilian player after Kleberson. He won four Premier League titles during his time at Old Trafford and was capped eight times for Brazil.
The midfielder revealed last year how he and Portuguese teammate Nani lived with Cristiano Ronaldo for nearly a year. Anderson said: "He adopted me. We lived at Ronaldo's house for almost a year. We didn't spend anything. The guy took us to training, fed us, had a cook for us."
Anderson helped Brazil win the 2007 Copa America and secured bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He left United in 2015 for Brazilian club Internacional after falling out of favour under successive managers.
Sources used: "Mirror", "Daily Record", "Daily Star" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
