A player from the English club Everton was recently arrested on suspicion of involvement in sexual crimes against a number of children, which resulted in the suspension of his activity with the team pending the results of the investigation.

This incident is no exception;

Where many football stars have been involved in various issues.

A report - published by the "foottheball" website - reviewed a number of examples of well-known players who were involved in various cases and whose names were recorded in criminal records.

Joey Barton

The former Newcastle and Manchester City player was known for his aggressive behavior and frequent fights.

On one occasion, he got into a fight with a number of teenagers in a restaurant, and he pinned one of them to the ground and threw a number of punches at him;

Because of this violent altercation, Barton was sentenced to 6 months in prison, and was released after two and a half months.

Barton again went to jail for assaulting Manchester City team-mate Osman Dabo, which led to his ban from the Football Association.

Bruno Fernandez de Sousa

Bruno Fernandez de Sousa was a goalkeeper and captained Flamengo, one of the most famous clubs in Brazil.

A few years ago, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the murder and torture of the mother of his youngest child, Elisa Samudio, and in 2019 the Brazilian authorities released him for his "good behaviour".

After getting out of prison, de Sousa resumed his football career with one of the amateur clubs in Brazil.

Adam Johnson

Adam Johnson, a former Sunderland and Manchester City player, was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in March 2016, when it was discovered he was having an affair with a 15-year-old girl.

He was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and was released in 2019 after serving half the sentence.

Sunderland had expelled Johnson from its ranks, and so far the 34-year-old has not been able to return to the stadiums, although he is not officially sanctioned.

George Best

George Best is considered one of the best players in Manchester United history, but has been a controversial star for his violent behaviour.

His ex-wife Alex claimed he repeatedly punched her in the face.

On one occasion he was arrested and charged with assaulting a waitress in a restaurant, who had suffered a broken nose from a punch, but won the case.

Best was an alcoholic, and spent two months in prison in 1984 for drunk driving and assaulting a police officer.

Vinnie Jones

The former England player was convicted of assaulting his neighbour, starting to knock on the door before breaking the window, then assaulting and kicking his neighbour.

The court imposed a fine of £300 and 100 hours of community service.

Rene Higuita

Undoubtedly, Colombian international goalkeeper Rene Higuita was one of the most skilled and controversial goalkeepers of the 1990s, and he impressed the world over with his "scorpion block".

But Higuita was also known for his involvement in the kidnapping case, a famous case that broke out between Colombian drug cartels.

Higuita played the role of mediator between drug lords Pablo Escobar and Carlos Molina, and gave the ransom money to secure the release of Molina's daughter and received a large reward.

Higuita was sentenced to 7 months in prison for his involvement in and profit from the kidnapping.

Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona was sent off during a game between Manchester United and Crystal Palace in 1995 due to a violent intervention on Richard Shaw, and when he left the field, he was provoked by a fan of the opposing team, which made the French star react and kick the fan violently.

The United icon was sentenced to two weeks in prison, but due to the public outcry, his sentence was reduced to 24 hours behind bars and 120 hours of community service.

Marlon King

Jamaican striker Marlon King has a criminal record unparalleled in the world of football.

King was convicted of 14 offenses, including theft, fraud, excessive speed, drunk driving and assault.

In 2002, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for theft, and 6 years later, he was convicted of sexual assault and physical harm after attacking a 20-year-old student.

Tony Adams

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams was among the players who struggled with alcoholism, and his football career was not without quarrels and confrontations with fans.

In 1990, his car hit a wall due to his heavy drinking.

The test revealed that the blood alcohol level was more than 4 times the legal limit.

Adams was arrested and sentenced to 4 months in prison, and released after serving half his sentence.

Lee Hughes

In 2004, the life of West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes took a sharp turn for the worse.

He was driving at night when it collided with another vehicle, killing its owner.

How complicated the situation is;

Hughes and his companion fled the scene, not to mention that many reports said he was driving drunk, and turned himself in the next day.

Hughes was convicted in 2004 of causing a person's death by driving dangerously and fleeing the scene, and was sentenced to 6 years in prison and a 10-year driving ban.