From winning UCL with Manchester United to facing prison

Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson has been sentenced to prison over an alleged failure to pay child support.

The 37-year-old risks spending 30 days behind bars unless he settles the 142 thousand pounds debt he reportedly owes.

A ruling was issued on September 3 by a family court judge in Porto Alegre, Anderson’s hometown in southern Brazil, but the news only came to light this week. According to Brazilian media, the ex-United player will be locked up under a strict “closed regime” if there is space available in local prisons—unless he manages to pay at the last moment.

Should overcrowding become a factor, Anderson could instead serve under a “semi-open regime,” which would permit him to leave during the day for study or community service but require his return to confinement each night.

The decision is linked to overdue alimony payments, which by July 28 had accumulated to just over one million Brazilian reais. The former midfielder—who represented Fiorentina in Italy and Internacional in Brazil before retiring at only 31—has not yet spoken publicly about the matter.

Capped eight times for Brazil, Anderson made his senior debut at the 2007 Copa America, a tournament the Seleçao went on to win. A year later, he helped his country claim Olympic bronze in Beijing.

At club level, Anderson is remembered for his time at Old Trafford, where he won four Premier League titles after joining from Porto in 2007. He netted his first goal for the Red Devils in the 2009 Audi Cup against Boca Juniors and extended his stay with a new long-term deal in December 2010. Falling out of favour, he left United in 2015, joining Internacional on a free transfer.