Stardom for a soccer player does not mean impunity if he commits a crime, as the law takes its course on everyone, regardless of the person’s sporting status.

A good number of these players took advantage of their stardom, and some of them covered up behind it, in order to commit illegal acts that eventually threw them into the darkness of prisons, the last of which was the famous Brazilian defender Dani Alves, who was imprisoned on charges of sexual harassment.

We highlight 10 players who spent a period of their lives in prison, after they were convicted of various crimes:

Robin Semedo

The Spanish police arrested the Portuguese defender in 2018, and at that time he was a player in the ranks of Villarreal.

Semedo was charged with several crimes, including attempted murder, threats, unlawful detention and unlawful possession of a weapon, after assaulting a person inside his home in Valencia.

Semedo was accused of attempted murder, threats, illegal detention and possession of weapons (Reuters)

The Spanish police placed Semedo in the "Pecasent" detention center, and he remained there until a 5-year suspended sentence was issued against him, and he was expelled from Spain and prevented from entering it for 8 years.

Vinicius Rodriguez Borges (Brino)

The Brazilian player failed to defraud the German authorities after he deliberately set his house on fire, seeking financial compensation.

This fraud was proven after investigations conducted by the German police into the incident that occurred in September 2011, when the Bayern Munich player set fire to his "villa" in Munich.

¡Hoy es JUEVES y tu cuerpo lo sabe @facundo_araujo!

Dia de #LadoB en @Ataque_Radio.

La otra cara de los futbolistas👀

Escuchá @947FMRadio 📻 from 22:00 ⏰ and diversified with the capitol that he saw…

Hoy: Breno Vinicius Borges🇧🇷, the futbolista que prendió fuego su casa🔥😳 pic.twitter.com/m7oZUPYOd5

- Ataque Futbolero Radio (@Ataque_Radio) March 5, 2020

The player, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with Brazil, was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in prison for arson.

Edmundo

In 1999, the former Brazil international was found guilty of causing the death of 3 people and the injury of 3 others in a traffic accident that occurred in 1995.

However, the Brazilian police arrested Edmundo on June 16, 2001, in the city of São Paulo, in order to carry out a prison sentence of 4 and a half years.

Após 26 anos, Supremo reconhece prescrição e livra ex-jugador Edmundo de punição by acidente de carro na Lagoa que matou três: https://t.co/De0kusxeKI

- Estadão 🗞️ (@Estadao) April 17, 2021

His lawyers tried to appeal against the verdict after Edmundo stayed in prison for one night, but the Brazilian Supreme Court upheld the decision, and he was transferred to a prison in Rio de Janeiro.

Freddy Rincon

The Brazilian police arrested the former Colombian player on May 11, 2007, at the direct request of the authorities in Panama, on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

The former Real Madrid player - who died last year - was accused of having direct links to Colombia's drug lord, Pablo Rayo Montano.

3- The Colombian of Années 1990 is in time life in drogue trafic, his name is his equipe nationale: all that René Higuita is a prisoner for his relations with Pablo Escobar, Freddy Rincon is a friend who droit his son's mandat d'arrêt émis par Interpol.

pic.twitter.com/eb8CcljiQZ

- Le Cav' (@MagazineCaviar) April 2, 2021

The Spanish newspaper "AS" confirms that Rincon spent approximately 123 days in a prison in Rio de Janeiro.

Tony Ferrilis

On May 16, 2022, a French court sentenced French player Verillis to 5 years in prison, two of which were suspended, on charges of using weapons in a violent manner, according to the French newspaper "Le Parisien".

Tony Vairelles, condamne à trois ans de prison ferme: «Je ne me suis pas transformé en Tony Truand» https://t.co/Bzn9ViweWy pic.twitter.com/JkjN3B3kZJ

- L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) June 4, 2022

The former international player, along with 3 of his brothers, was accused of opening fire and injuring 3 security guards in a nightclub in October 2011.

Juan Castano Quiros

On June 19, 2015, the Criminal Court in the Spanish city of Gijon sentenced Quiros, the former Sporting Gijon and Tenerife player, to 5 months in prison for the crime of "ill-treatment" against one of his colleagues.

Juanele entra en prisión, según la Televisión Publica de Asturias https://t.co/uo0V6eqUSC pic.twitter.com/30tGmyMbRR

— Diario AS (@diarioas) April 17, 2017

This punishment came because the player assaulted his wife with a baseball bat under the influence of alcohol, as he went to her workplace and hit her on the head in front of their 8-year-old daughter.

Mason Greenwood

Manchester United player Harriet Robson has been accused of assaulting her in late January 2022.

On that day, Harriet posted a video clip on her "Instagram" account, which included pictures of bruises in many parts of her body and blood as a result of the assault on her by Greenwood.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mason Greenwood (@masongreenwood)

Two days later, the British police released Greenwood on bail pending investigations, but rearrested him again on October 15, 2022, for violating the bail conditions.

Prosecutors charged Greenwood with 3 counts of attempted rape, engaging in coercive conduct, and assault causing bodily harm.

Rene Higuita

The Colombian goalkeeper - the owner of a famous shot in the history of football by blocking a ball in the scorpion way - was involved in a kidnapping case in his country.

That famous incident occurred between the Colombian drug gangs, and at that time Higuita put himself to mediate between two major mafia leaders, Pablo Escobar and Carlos Molina.

Crónica de la detención y posterior principle del arquero titular de la selección Colombiana de fútbol, ​​René Higuita a pocos dias del inicio de la Copa América Ecuador 1.993.

pic.twitter.com/RnXrbam50f

— THOMAS ST'OMER (@THOMASSTOMER) February 9, 2019

Higuita gave his hands money for the release of Molina's daughter, but he was later arrested because of this mediation, which he benefited financially from, and was imprisoned for 7 years.

Benjamin Mindy

More than a year after his arrest, a British court acquitted Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy of committing 6 counts of rape and one of sexually assaulting 4 girls, which he was accused of committing between October 2018 and August 2021 at his home in Prestbury, near Manchester. .

The French defender will also be retried for rape and attempted rape.

Certains filles qui accusent injustement, avec de fausses declarations, d'honnêtes hommes dans le but de les détruire la vie, méritent la prison à vie.

Benjamin Mendy is a member of the club, a media player and a member of the Monde Coupe due to the cause of 06 menteuses.

Quel monde!

pic.twitter.com/UUMGMIWyxw

— D.Thioune Jr.

Officiel (@D_ThiouneJr) January 13, 2023

But since being charged, Mindy has been held at Altcourse Prison in Liverpool and then transferred to the maximum security prison Stringways amid fears for his safety.

Andrew Hall

On September 10, 2010, the High Court in "Birdfordshire" sentenced the young player to Stoke City to life in prison, according to the British newspaper "Dailymail".

This ruling came after Hall was convicted of killing his girlfriend, Megan, after he stabbed her 60 times in different parts of her body, in a heinous crime that shook Britain.

Stoke City teenager Andrew Hall was arrested after a 15-year-old girl was found dead at a house party in Bedfordshire.

pic.twitter.com/QHeVnaNu

— Fans Forum (@Fans_Forum) June 11, 2012

The player killed his girlfriend out of jealousy, as he thought she was cheating on him with one of his friends, so he pulled a knife from the victim's kitchen before killing her, taking advantage of her parents' absence at home.