Football Legend, Ronaldinho Faces Jail Time Over Unpaid Maintenance To His Ex-girlfriend

Ronaldinho and his ex-Priscilla Coelho

Football legend, Ronaldinho would face jail terms if he fails to settle the maintenance payment dispute with his former girlfriend,

Reports in Brazil say the former Barcelona and AC Milan star has been ordered to settle his debt with Priscilla Coelho by December 1 to avoid the seizure of his assets and possible prison.

She's understood to have been awarded around £13,500 in maintenance a month after arbitration as the Brazil legend's 'common-law wife'

Priscilla's lawyer Bruno Medrado told Brazilian newspaper Extra: 'Right now he has to pay up.'

Officials are said to have handed Ronaldinho a court summons so he could be formally notified about the maintenance payment deadline on November 11 after several failed attempts to track him down.

The former footballer is currently believed to be in Dubai.

In May 2018 Ronaldinho was forced to deny claims he was marrying Priscilla and another woman, named as Beatriz Sousa, at the same time.

He spoke out after a Brazilian newspaper said he would tie the knot with the stunning pair at a private ceremony at the upmarket Barra da Tijuca district in Rio de Janeiro where he owns a home.

The two-time World Player of the Year said at the time: 'It's a huge lie. Everyone's talking about this but it's not true. I'm not going to get married.'

Around a year later it emerged Priscilla, said to have started dating Ronaldinho when he played for Belo Horizonte club Atletico Mineiro, was demanding money from her multi-millionaire ex.

It was reported that she was awarded around £13,500 in maintenance a month following arbitration as the retired footballer's former 'common-law wife' in a provisional decision which can be appealed while the first payments are made.

A common law marriage is one in which the couple lives together for a period of time and holds themselves out to friends, family, and the community as "being married," but without ever going through a formal ceremony or getting a marriage license.