On September 5 and 7, Israel hosted two friendly matches with the participation of Barcelona legends. First, the team led by Ronaldinho and Rivaldo defeated the veterans of Maccabi (Tel Aviv) with a score of 5:3, and then crushed the honorable masters of another Maccabi, from Haifa, with a score of 5:1. In the first match, Ronaldinho shone even with his rapidly growing belly, giving a brilliant assist to Saviola, and in the second he scored from a penalty.
In both games, the Brazilian had fun with his characteristic smile, but a few days before the trip to Israel he was in a completely opposite state of mind when he testified in the Senate of the Brazilian capital. The Brasilia prosecutor’s office accused the owner of the Ballon d’Or – 2005 of organizing a financial pyramid, for which, according to local laws, he is threatened with a prison sentence of three to five years. In 2020, Ronaldinho has already spent several months in a Paraguayan prison for forging a passport and clearly does not want to go back to jail. But why then is his name associated with fraud again?
How Ronaldinho got to the main club of his life:
He had a great time at Barcelona before Messi. The story of Ronaldinho’s high-profile transfer from PSG
Cryptocurrency company 18K Ronaldinho promised its clients income of up to 400% per month
Ronaldinho was summoned to the Senate back in mid-August, but then he referred to the fact that the flight from Rio to Brasilia was canceled due to bad weather. Two weeks later, the former footballer again did not show up at the meeting: at that time he was in Kyrgyzstan at the inauguration of a branch of the Barcelona Academy. The federal police who went to the legend’s house to confiscate his passport did not know about Ronnie’s business trip, so they left a summons on the door demanding that he hand over the document.
Ronaldinho testifies in the Senate
Photo: Federico Brazil/IMAGO/TASS
Realizing that there was no point in hanging around, on August 31 the world champion came to the Senate to testify. The soccer player was accompanied by his brother Roberto and a lawyer. When Ronaldinho was given the floor, he seemed very nervous and responded to the questions exclusively through a text previously written on paper. It seemed that the genius of the ball had problems with the reading technique: he ran his finger along the lines and pronounced what was written in syllables. After that, I believe even more in the famous story about the period of the Mexican career. Later Ronaldinho confessed to an employee from Querétaro that he did not know how to use an ATM. At 35 years old!
About the legends of the Brazilian team:
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Ronaldinho is accused of participating in cryptocurrency investment fraud through the company 18K Ronaldinho. This organization was engaged in cryptocurrency trading and arbitration, promising its clients income of up to 400% per month. These figures are a clear indicator of a financial pyramid, officially recognized by the Ministry of Justice.
In addition to income from the invested amount, 18K Ronaldinho also promised bonuses to attract new clients: the minimum deposit was 30 dollars. “Ronaldinho’s high profile and popularity led thousands of people to invest in fraudulent schemes, which brought them losses,” the prosecutor said. .
This is not the only accusation against Ronaldinho: the prosecution accuses the footballer of helping to promote the international runner LBLV as an ambassador. Registered in the Seychelles (and this is the first sign of a shady scheme), the broker had a base of more than 100 thousand clients, attached a personal advisor to each new investor and promoted him to the maximum. It was not even possible to withdraw the deposit. In Brazil, this scam has been banned since 2019, which did not stop Ronaldinho from actively advertising the broker.
Ronaldinho claims he was framed. He sued one of the companies.
In his testimony before parliamentarians, Ronaldinho assured that he was not involved in 18K Ronaldinho. “In 2016 I signed a contract with the North American company 18K Watches Corporation for the temporary use of my image rights to create a line of watches sold in several countries under the 18K Ronaldinho brand,” Diño defended himself. — The business agreement included a license to use my image, name, signature, nickname, and voice. However, I did not know that another company was created on this basis: 18K Ronaldinho Comércio, which promoted an illegal cryptocurrency platform.”
18K Ronaldinho ad featuring Ronaldinho
Photo: official poster
The soccer player assures that his image rights were used illegally and in the context of the crime he is also a victim. Ronaldinho assured parliamentarians that he terminated his contract with 18K Ronaldinho in October 2019, after his brother Roberto warned him about the alleged abuse of image rights. The former Barcelona midfielder guaranteed that the actions required by the contract were not carried out and therefore did not file any legal action against the owners of 18K Ronaldinho.
“They used the sale of watches as a beautiful sign and at the same time engaged in fraudulent activities. Other famous personalities, as well as the Flamengo club, found themselves in a similar situation,” said Ronaldinho’s brother.
Ronaldinho also responded to accusations of cooperation with a brokerage company. “I have never negotiated directly with the LBLV. A few years ago, I signed a contract with an Israeli social media management company, Tailor Media, which promoted my image online. Tailor Media considered it appropriate to use my image in an LBLV ad, for which I did not give permission, “emphasized the footballer. In 2021, he sued Tailor Media.
Ronaldinho in advertising for the LBLV runner
Photo: lblv.com
The prosecutor, Senate deputy Ricardo Silva, denied Ronaldinho’s version and said he had convincing evidence that the soccer player did not abandon prohibited activities even after violating the law. Faced with these accusations, the lawyer recommended Ronnie to remain silent “due to ignorance of certain situations.”
Because of his brother, Ronaldinho has already served five months in prison
The investigation into the footballer’s direct involvement in the crimes will continue and Ronnie will probably have to testify more than once. The saddest thing for him in these stories is that he stepped on an old rake. While the genius has fun on the soccer fields, his negligent brother continues to manage his finances and his promotion. Roberto has framed Ronaldinho in illegal business ventures so many times that it is time for the footballer to put him out of business and hire a smart manager.
In 2012, Roberto received a five-year suspended sentence for hiding $850,000 in money transfers from Italy from the Central Bank of Brazil in 2003 and 2004. The fine for fraud amounted to 45 Brazilian minimum wages, which Ronaldinho paid for his brother. Ronnie had to shell out another $500,000 when his brother convinced him to illegally cut down a forest on the outskirts of Porto Alegre to build a soccer academy.
In 2013, the brothers were again in trouble with the law when Ronaldinho breached a ban on the construction of a fishing pier and cane processing factory near Lake Guaíba in Porto Alegre. This lake is considered a nature reserve, so very soon the police went to the unfortunate businessmen.
Ronaldinho with his brother Roberto after his arrest at an airport in Paraguay
Photo: Jorge Sáenz/AP/TASS
The fine for this crime was $200,000, but Roberto evaded paying it for several years. As a result, as of September 2019, 1.5 million dollars had already been accumulated, for which the authorities confiscated the brothers’ international passports, prohibited them from leaving Brazil and confiscated 52 real estate properties of the 2005 Champions League winner/ 2006. It was then that Ronaldinho, following the advice of his brother, decided to forge a Paraguayan passport, for which he was imprisoned for five months. And now this story of fraud using cryptocurrencies and a broker. If nothing changes, another prison sentence for Ronaldinho is only a matter of time.
And Ronnie is still good on the field:
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