Man who stole Neymar's ball sentenced to 17 years

In Brazil, Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, a participant in the attempted political coup of early 2023, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison, Euro-football.ru reported.

He and his associates tried to destabilize the country and were involved in extremist actions. The court found that their activities posed a serious threat to national stability.

During the protests, the perpetrators entered the Brazilian National Congress building and stole a football gifted by Neymar to the president in 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Santos football club.

The ball held special significance as it bore Neymar’s signature. Interestingly, the man who took it later voluntarily returned it to police a month later, claiming he wanted to protect it from other vandals.

Nevertheless, the court sentenced him to 17 years in prison, indicating that his explanation had little impact on law enforcement or the judiciary.

The case once again highlighted the tense political and social climate in Brazil. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!