Asuncion (AFP)

Former Brazilian football star Ronaldinho said on Monday that his imprisonment and then house arrest in Paraguay for using a false passport were "a serious blow to him".

"It's a very hard blow, I never would have imagined myself finding myself in such a situation," said the former striker of FC Barcelona and Paris SG in an interview with the Paraguayan newspaper Abc.

"I was completely taken aback when I learned that these passports were not valid," said Ronaldinho when he spoke for the first time since his arrest on March 6, shortly after arriving in Asuncion with his brother. Roberto de Assis Moreira.

They came to promote a book, and both are accused of entering Paraguay in possession of false passports.

After a month behind bars, the 2005 Ballon d'Or and his brother have been under house arrest since April 7 in a hotel in the historic center of the capital of Paraguay, after paying a deposit of 1.6 million dollars.

Ronaldinho hopes to regain his freedom "as soon as possible" after having contributed fully to the investigation of the Paraguayan police.

"We came to participate in the launch of an online casino and the publication of my autobiography with the company in charge of exploiting rights for Paraguay," he said.

He recalled that he was originally scheduled to return to Brazil on March 7 for his son's birthday.

"The first thing I will do once I leave Paraguay is to go kiss my mother and then digest what this situation has created," hoped Ronaldinho, who turned 40 on March 21 .

In this case, Ronaldinho and his brother face up to five years in prison.

© 2020 AFP