Top 25+ football stars who ended up in prison

Wrong side of the law

Even in the high-stakes world of professional football, where fame, fortune, and status are the norm, some players have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Despite their success on the pitch, a few have made choices that landed them behind bars.

Prison FC

Those are the players we are going to be focusing on today, as we explore 25 footballers whose careers were overshadowed by their off-pitch issues.

24. Omar Ortiz

A former goalkeeper for Monterrey in Mexico, Omar Ortiz had a shocking fall from grace. In 2012, he was arrested and later sentenced to 75 years in prison for his role in at least three kidnappings as part of a criminal gang. He later confessed, as reported by Al Jazeera, that the kidnapping ring was working for the infamous criminal organisation known as the Gulf Cartel. His crimes were among the most severe of any footballer on this list, and his case remains one of the darkest scandals in football history.

23. Troy Deeney

A key figure in Watford’s rise to the Premier League, Troy Deeney built a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense striker. However, in 2012, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his involvement in a violent attack. As reported by the Guardian, Deeney served three months before being released early for good behaviour. He turned his life around following his release, captaining Watford and leading them to a promotion.

22. Breno

A former Bayern Munich defender, Breno was a rising star in German football. However, in 2011, he set fire to his own house, causing over €1 million ($1.4m/£900,000) in damages. As reported in Der Spiegel, he was convicted of arson in 2012 and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. After serving part of his sentence, he was released and later returned to football in Brazil.

21. Tomáš Řepka

A former West Ham and Czech Republic defender, Tomáš Řepka (left) was known for his aggressive playing style on the pitch and his controversial actions off it. In February 2019, he received a 15-month sentence for fraud after selling a luxury rental car that he didn't own. Two weeks later, according to Sky Sports, his previous suspended sentences for driving under the influence were converted into a nine-month jail term, further adding to his legal troubles. He ultimately served nearly a year in prison before being released on parole. His fall from grace was dramatic, though he remains a well-known figure in Czech football.

20. Ruben Semedo

A highly talented Portuguese defender, Ruben Semedo played for multiple big teams, including Sporting CP and Olympiacos. However, his career has been marred by various legal troubles. In 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping, assault and firearm possession, though he served only a few months before being released under restrictions (per Marca). Despite his criminal record, including other arrests over a gang rape allegation and reportedly physically assaulting and keeping his girlfriend captive, he continued his professional career in Qatar.

19. Jermaine Pennant

Jermaine Pennant’s talent was undeniable, but his career was plagued by off-field problems. He played in the 2007 Champions League final for Liverpool, but, as reported by BBC News, Pennant was sentenced to 90 days in prison for drink-driving after crashing his car while already disqualified from driving. In 2005, he became the first Premier League footballer to play a match while wearing an electronic tag. Despite spells at Arsenal, Birmingham and Stoke, he never fulfilled his potential.

18. Mickey Thomas

A former Manchester United and Chelsea winger, Mickey Thomas (2l) was known for his pace and technical ability. However, in 1993, he was jailed for his role in a counterfeit currency operation, where he helped distribute fake banknotes. As reported by The Observer, Thomas served 18 months in prison before being released. After his sentence, he worked as a pundit and continued playing at a semi-professional level. His footballing ability was never in doubt, but his off-field decisions led to his downfall.

17. Bruno Fernandes de Souza

Bruno Fernandes de Souza, a highly rated Brazilian goalkeeper, was sentenced in 2010 to 22 years in prison, charged with ordering the assault, torture and murder of his extramarital girlfriend (per BBC News). The case shocked the football world, as he had played for Flamengo, one of Brazil’s biggest clubs. Despite his conviction, he was released early and controversially returned to professional football in 2017 while serving partial house arrest. His story remains one of the most shocking crimes committed by a footballer.

16. Joey Barton

A highly talented but controversial midfielder, Joey Barton’s career was marred by disciplinary issues. After several alleged incidents of assault and criminal damage, including involving teammates, in 2008, he was finally jailed for six months for punching a man in Liverpool city centre twenty times (per Reuters). He served 74 days before being released. Despite this, Barton went on to rebuild his reputation, going on to captain QPR and play for clubs like Newcastle and Burnley. His volatile personality has continued to earn him headlines after retirement, with multiple charges during a shortlived spell as a manager and, now, carving out a reputation for being an outspoken voice on social media.

15. Peter Storey

A hard-tackling Arsenal midfielder, Peter Storey won two league titles and the FA Cup during his career. However, his post-football life was plagued by crime. As told in his autobiography 'True Storey: My Life and Crimes as a Football Hatchet Man,' Storey was convicted multiple times, including for running a brothel, counterfeiting gold coins and smuggling cars and pornography. He was sentenced to three years in prison in the early 1980s for his role in the counterfeit operation.

13. Fabrizio Miccoli

A talented forward best known for his time at Palermo, Fabrizio Miccoli was highly skilled on the pitch but made poor choices off it. In 2017, per La Gazzetta dello Sport, he was convicted of extortion with links to the Mafia and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. His association with organised crime shocked Italian football. Once seen as a cult hero, his reputation is now overshadowed by his criminal past.

12. Adam Johnson

Once a promising England international and Premier League winger, Adam Johnson’s career ended in disgrace. In 2016, as reported by the BBC, he was arrested and charged over sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, convicted of child sex offences and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released in 2019 after serving half his sentence. Before his conviction, Johnson had won the Premier League with Manchester City and was a key player for Sunderland. However, his footballing achievements have been completely overshadowed by his crimes.

11. Graham Rix

A former England international and Arsenal midfielder, Graham Rix later moved into coaching. However, in 1999, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, convicted of having underage sex with a 15-year-old girl. Despite this, he returned to football after his release, coaching at Chelsea and later managing clubs like Portsmouth and Heart of Midlothian.

10. René Higuita

René Higuita, famous for his flamboyant goalkeeping and the Scorpion Kick, had a career filled with controversy. In 1993, he was jailed for seven months in Colombia for his involvement in a kidnapping case. As explained in the ESPN documentary 'The Two Escobars,' Higuita had acted as an intermediary in a ransom payment involving Pablo Escobar. Despite his prison time, he returned to football and played in the 1998 World Cup. His eccentric style made him one of the most memorable goalkeepers of all time.

9. Jan Mølby

A classy Danish midfielder, Jan Mølby was a key player for the all-conquering Liverpool in the 1980s. However, in 1988, he was jailed for reckless driving after being involved in multiple incidents. As reported by the Guardian, he served three months in prison, missing part of Liverpool’s season. Despite this setback, he returned to Anfield and continued to play a key role for the club. His technical ability and passing range made him a fan favourite, but his time behind bars remains a dark chapter in his career.

8. Robinho

A former Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan forward, Robinho was once seen as the future of Brazilian football. However, in 2017, as reported in the Guardian, he was convicted of the gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman at a Milan nightclub and sentenced to nine years in prison. As he was in Brazil, which does not extradite its citizens, he managed to avoid serving time for many years. However, a Brazilian court has recently decided to uphold the Italian court conviction and the former star must now serve his prison sentence in Brazil.

7. Uli Hoeneß

A World Cup-winning player and later Bayern Munich’s long-time president, Uli Hoeneß (left) was one of the most respected figures in German football. However, in 2014, he was convicted of tax fraud, having evaded €28.5 million ($38.7m/£22.6m) in taxes via a Swiss bank account, as reported by BBC Sports. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, serving 18 months before being released early. Despite this, he returned to Bayern Munich and remains a powerful figure in football.

6. Ian Wright

One of Arsenal’s greatest ever strikers, Ian Wright was jailed before his professional career even began. As a teenager, he served two weeks in prison for unpaid driving fines, he told ITV. The experience changed his life, inspiring him to focus on football. His prison stint was brief, but it played a role in his determination to succeed. And succeed he did, winning multiple titles with Arsenal and breaking their goal-scoring record.

5. Freddy Rincón

A Colombian football legend, the late Freddy Rincón played for Real Madrid and Corinthians and was a key figure in Colombia’s golden generation in the 1990s. However, he was arrested in 2007 on drug trafficking charges and spent four months in prison in Brazil, managing to escape extradition to Panama, writes Diario AS. Though he denied involvement, he was accused of links to drug cartels. Despite these legal troubles, his footballing legacy remains significant, particularly for his performances in three World Cups.

4. Tony Adams

A true Arsenal legend, Tony Adams captained the club to multiple league titles and was a rock in England’s defence. However, in 1990, he was sentenced to four months in prison for drink-driving after crashing his car while over the limit. He served two months before being released. As reported by the Observer, the experience led him to confront his alcoholism, and he later founded the Sporting Chance Clinic, helping athletes overcome addiction. His redemption arc is one of football’s most inspiring stories.

3. George Best

One of football’s greatest ever players, George Best dazzled the world with his skill at Manchester United and won the Ballon d’Or in 1968. However, his struggles with alcoholism led to multiple arrests. In 1984, he was sentenced to three months in prison for drink-driving and assaulting a police officer. Best’s off-field issues never overshadowed his talent, but they tragically contributed to his early death at 59.

1. Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho wasn’t just a footballer—he was pure magic on the pitch. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2005 and starred for Barcelona, AC Milan and Brazil. However, in 2020, he was arrested in Paraguay for using a fake passport. According to BBC News, he spent 32 days in prison before being moved to house arrest. Despite this bizarre chapter, he remains one of the most beloved players in football history.