Fabio Cannavaro has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for breaching orders to keep out of his property after it was seized by authorities. The former Italian world Cup winner has appealed the prison sentence.
It was reported that Cannavaro, 41, had the residence in Posillipo taken back in 2009 amid an investigations into fraudulent activity involving him and his partner. The 41-year-old, who captained Italy to their 2006 World Cup triumph, has been under investigation for tax evasion.
In October, authorities in Naples allegedly seized almost 1m of goods linked to Cannavaro and his wife, as well as a €180,000 yacht. However, his failure to adhere to their ruling last month has led to Cannavaro – now the coach of the Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande – being handed a 10-month sentence.
According to various reports in Italy, last month the World Cup winning captain gained access to the villa without permission and spent time bathing in its swimming pool.
His partner, Daniela Arenoso, has also been sentenced to four months behind bars with Cannavaro’s brother Paolo, a defender for Serie A side Sassuolo, given a six-month jail sentence. All three have appealed and will have their sentences suspended until the appeal is heard.
It has been reported that Cannavaro’s company Fd Service owes over €1m in unpaid taxes. The Italian Agency of Revenue apparently claims that FD Service underpaid on Corporation Tax, Regional Tax and VAT between 2005 and 2010.
Cannavaro retired in 2011 and worked as a pundit for ITV at the World Cup. He won the 2006 Ballon d’Or trophy after helping Italy to win the World Cup and also claimed two La Liga titles in a career that took in time at Napoli, Parma, Internazionale, Juventus and Dubai-based Al-Ahli.
Image Courtesy: Dailymail