Manchester United’s former left-back Patrice Evra has recently received a 12 month prison sentence.
The 43-year-old graced Old Trafford for eight years between 2006 and 2014 when he joined from AS Monaco for €4.1 million. Over this time, the former France captain made a total of 379 appearances for the Red Devils, grabbing ten goals and 33 assists across all competitions.
During his time at United, Evra was a strong presence in defence and as a result he was a vital part of the team that lifted five Premier League titles, four Community Shields, three English League cups and a Champions League trophy.
However now, Evra has had a significant fall from grace being handed a suspended 12 month prison sentence for family abandonment.
French outlet Le Parisien has reported he France international is reportedly owing just under €1 million in alimony to his ex-wife and the star has avoided paying.
By refusing to pay alimony to his ex-wife Sandra Evra, the former left-back was found guilty by Judges in the Nanterre suburb of Paris for effectively “abandoning” his ex-wife and their children who are now 19 and 10 years of age.
The footballer’s lawyers have immediately appealed the verdict, following years of litigation with the time period of the offence coming between 1st may 2021 and 28th September 2023.
The court ruled that Evra should also pay his ex-wife €4,000 in moral damages and has to cover her legal fees which are a further €2,000.
A prosecuting source at Hauts-de-Seine Correctional Court said: “The sentence was 12 months in prison, suspended for two years,” a prosecuting source at the Hauts-de-Seine Correctional Court said on Friday. Mr Evra’s legal team immediately appealed.”
Ms Evra’s barrister, Nathalie Dubois, also made comment after the trial, saying: “I hope that, thanks to this decision, Patrice Evra will finally understand that he is not above the law and that we cannot abandon our wife and children overnight.
She continued: “Even more so when they met at the age of 15 and she followed him all over the world to support his football career.”
However, Mr Evra’s representative, Jerome Boursican commented that: “Mr. Patrice Evra appealed, knowing that he provided his wife with an apartment, a house with a swimming pool in the south of France and that he lent her almost two million euros for her daily life. A sum that she refuses to return, and this is the reason for this trial.”
The pair married in 2007 however began divorce proceedings in 2020 after the former defender was photographed kissing Danish model Margaux Alexandra, who Evra now lives with in Dubai having had two children of their own.
This isn’t Evra’s first run in with the criminal justice system after being fined €1000 and being ordered to pay €2000 in compensation last year to two anti-hate campaign groups after posting homophobic abuse.
