Football star detained in police station in Asunción shortly before planned flight back to home town of Rio

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Football star Ronaldinho has been arrested in a hotel in Paraguay’s capital after authorities said he entered the country with falsified documents.

The 39-year-old Brazilian and his brother, Roberto Assis, were taken to a police station in Asunción shortly before 10pm local time on Friday, Paraguay’s prosecutors office said in a statement.

Ronaldinho questioned by police in Paraguay over alleged fake passport Read more

Ronaldinho’s lawyer Sergio Queiroz confirmed the arrest to the Associated Press and said his legal team in Paraguay had filed an injunction to release the 2002 World Cup winner and his brother.

Shortly before the arrests Queiroz told the AP the former Barcelona star was preparing to take a flight back to Rio de Janeiro, where he lives.

Ronaldinho and Assis were questioned for six hours earlier about what police said were false Paraguayan documents found in their possession on Wednesday. The Brazilians said they had come to Asuncion for business reasons.

The former footballer and his brother said the documents were offered as a gift by a Brazilian businessmen, Wilmondes Sousa Liria, who has already been jailed.