Roberto Carlos sentenced to jail for unpaid child support

A Rio de Janeiro judge has sentenced former Real Madrid and Brazil international full-back Roberto Carlos to jail for failing to pay child support, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

The 44-year-old owes his ex-partner Barbara Thurler 61,000 reais (around US$20,000), according to documents lodged with the Itaperuna family court in Rio de Janeiro state.

Carlos, a father of nine, has two children with Thurler.

Judge Mayane de Castro said the family rejected a proposal by the 44-year-old to pay the sum in installments.

The retired World Cup winner's lawyer, Fernando Pittner, said the matter would be resolved without Carlos going to jail.

Carlos, who was capped 125 times for Brazil's national team, currently lives in Spain and works as an ambassador for Real Madrid.

-- BERNAMA