6 Footballers Who Served Time Behind Bars

Barcelona's Javier Mascherano is in the news, but not for happy reasons. The Argentina international has run afoul of the authorities in Spain over alleged tax evasion.

According to Diario Sport, a court has fined Mascherano €815,000 and sentenced him to one year in prison after he confessed to two tax-related charges. Mascherano, however, might avoid prison time if a judge accepts his attorney's request for the sentence to be suspended.

But while Mascherano currently finds himself in quite the predicament, he's far from the only footballer to have a brush with the law. With Mascherano's situation in mind, we've come up with a list of players who have served time in jail.

Let's get started.

Joey Barton

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Violent incidents have littered Joey Barton's career, but to date, the English midfielder has served just a fraction of the time he could have spent in prison.

In 2008, Barton was sentenced to six months for assaulting a man in December 2007, according to BBC News. The incident was captured on CCTV. Barton served just two months, per the Guardian.

That same year, he also received a four-month sentence following a training-ground incident with teammate Ousmane Dabo. The sentence was suspended, per Helen Carter at the Guardian.

Duncan Ferguson

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Known as Disorderly Duncan, Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson scored more than 70 Premier League goals over two spells with Everton. However, he's probably better known for an incident that proved his "Disorderly" moniker apt.

In April 1994, while playing for Rangers in the Scottish League, Ferguson head-butted Raith Rovers defender John McStay. That "Glasgow Kiss" earned Ferguson a three-month prison sentence, of which he served 44 days, according to Alan Pattullo at the Scotsman.

Tony Adams

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English defender Tony Adams is known as Mr. Arsenal for his outstanding contributions to the club. Over his 22-year career, he helped the club win four league titles and three FA Cups, and he served as captain for 14 years.

However, Adams served 58 days in Chelmsford Prison following a 1990 conviction for drink-driving, per Ian Ridley at the Guardian.

In 2000, Adams founded the Sporting Chance Clinic, a charity that provides support to athletes suffering from addiction.

Lee Hughes

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In August 2004, English striker Lee Hughes was jailed on a six-year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving. Per BBC News, Hughes had fled the scene after crashing his £100,000 Mercedes into the vehicle of Douglas Graham, who later died from his injuries. Hughes had been driving home following a post-match drink.

Hughes served three years and signed a deal with Oldham Athletic upon his release. He later played for Notts County and Port Vale, among others.

George Best

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Northern Irishman George Best holds a reverential place in the tradition of Manchester United as one of the best and most outrageously talented players in that club's rich history. However, his struggles with alcohol were well-known until his death in 2005.

In 1984, Best received a 12-week prison sentence after being arrested for drink-driving and assaulting a police officer. He spent Christmas in jail that year, according to BBC News.

Jan Molby

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Jan Molby spent 12 years with Liverpool, winning three league titles and three FA Cups. During the 1988-89 season, however, he was jailed for three months following a reckless-driving incident. He served 45 days, per Alison Jones at the Birmingham Post.

"People say it's not that bad but it is," Molby said, per Jones. "I didn't sleep for the first two days. I was scared. My cellmate was a strange fella. He didn't know who I was, which worried me. If he had been a football fan I would have felt safe. He never said a word and he never slept, so I never slept."

Molby remained with Liverpool for another eight years.