A state court in Germany convicted former Bayern Munich defender Breno of aggravated arson and sentenced the Brazilian player to three years and nine months in prison for setting his rented villa on fire last year.
After the verdict Wednesday, judge Rosi Datzmann ordered the 22-year-old Brazilian, who was free on bail during the trial, to be taken into custody.
Breno was arrested in September. He had been released on bail after surrendering his passport and depositing a ?500,000 ($670,000) bail. Bayern helped with the money. The club also obtained permission for Breno to travel to Qatar for a midseason training camp in January. His contract with the club expired at the end of last season.
Prosecutors asked the judge for a harsher sentence of five and a half years in prison, claiming that Breno intentionally set fire in the villa he had been renting in the affluent Munich suburb of Gruenwald. The damage to the residence was estimated at ?1.5 million ($2 million).
Defense lawyers told the court that the player was suffering from depression when the incident occurred. He was not playing football at the time because of knee injury and was drinking heavily, they said.
Breno's wife and children, who had been living in the in the house, left shortly before the incident. Nobody was injured in the fire.
Bayern said in a statement it hoped for a different verdict, but added the club will continue to support the player.
''Our hope was that Breno could continue his career as a footballer and with it, his family life,'' the club said.
