RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian football great Ronaldinho has had a travel ban lifted after accepting a million-dollar fine for an environmental offense.
The 39-year-old and his brother, Roberto de Assis, had their passports seized by Brazilian authorities last November after failing to pay a fine resulting from a 2015 court case.
The pair struck a deal with public prosecutors to pay a penalty of six million Brazilian reais (around 1.5 million US dollars) by October 1.
"What I can say is that a deal was reached and it was ratified by a judge," Ronaldinho's lawyer Sergio Queiroz said.
Ronaldinho made a surprise appearance playing drums at the World Cup closing ceremony. (File photo: gulftoday)
Ronaldinho and Assis were originally fined 8.5 million reais (2.3 million US dollars) after being found guilty of building a fishing platform on the Guaiba river in southern Brazil without the necessary permits. The structure was located in a heritage-protected area.
Under terms of the agreement, Ronaldinho and Assis also pledged to recover the damaged area within 60 days, pending authorization from local authorities.
Ronaldinho retired from football last year after a career that included a World Cup triumph in 2002 and two FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
Last week the former Barcelona attacker was appointed a tourism ambassador for Brazil by the government's Embratur agency.
