Brazil star Ronaldinho is still loving life in his own unique style

Officially announcing his retirement at the start of 2018, the tributes naturally poured in to one of the 21st century's most gifted talents. Naturally too, Ronaldinho's life off the pitch, always a source of fascination and often admiration, has been under a more intense microscope ever since calling it a day.

Dubbed a hero by some and a sexist by others for the arrangement, he made headlines for reportedly marrying two wives. At the end of 2018 however, the high achieved by participating in the Russia 2018 opening ceremony was quickly snubbed out as his personal life began to unravel further.

It was around the time Barcelona distanced themselves from both Ronaldinho and Rivaldo for publicly-supporting controversial president Jair Bolsonaro. For building on a preserved area without permission back in 2015, Ronaldinho promptly had his passport confiscated by Brazilian authorities and was slapped with a fine of around £1.5m.

A thorough search of his bank accounts revealing a balance of just over £5, speculation grew that the former star sponsored by big names such as Nike and Pepsi for the duration of his glittering career had spent up.

Priscila Coelho, one of the two wives, who gave up her studies and profession to reside with him, then left Ronaldinho citing aggression and opened a legal case to take one third of his earnings from 2012 to 2018 after the pair failed to reach a separation agreement in private.
 

More property-related trouble followed this summer. The fine now having a further 1 million reais (£200,000) slapped on it, courts in the south of Brazil have forbidden the midfielder from selling 57 houses and apartments from his portfolio to make amends. Simultaneously, creditors have also launched their own separate action to recuperate an additional £2,000,000 in other debts.

MailOnline