Roberto Carlos to avoid prison after unpaid child support

The 44-year-old, currently a Real Madrid ambassador and living in Spain, was summoned by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice for non-payment of alimony.

Carlos owes his ex-partner Barbara Thurler 61,000 reais (around £15,600), according to documents submitted to the Itaperuna family court in Rio de Janeiro.

The World Cup winner has nine children, two of them with Thurler, who rejected his proposal to pay the sum in instalments.

The information was initially revealed by O Dia journalist Leo Dias, and later confirmed by the former player's advisor, who said that his client eventually "made the payment of the alimony related to June on August 3".

Carlos had been facing three months in prison for his failure to cough up, but now looks set to avoid such ignominy. During his playing days he regularly escaped punishment for his crimes against physics. 

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