A former football player, winner of cups and awards, is now serving seven years in prison for cocaine trafficking, showing a drastic change in his life.
A Rotterdam court found guilty of cocaine trafficking to the former footballer, David Mendes. Known for his achievements inside the soccer field as a central defender seasoned and with temperament, he now faces a completely different reality which shows a decline in the life of an athlete who once had it all.
The sentence, which followed his arrest in August 2022, included charges of bribery and cocaine salesThe Rotterdam court found him guilty of importing two batches of drugsone weighing 74 kilos and another weighing 105 kilos. In addition, he was responsible for preparing the Importation of 1,300 more kilos. His participation was not limited to these crimes, as he also bribed a port employee for information about the containers containing the drugs.
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Who is David Mendes and what happened to his career?
As a child, David Mendes da Silva was a footballer like thousands of other children around the world. During his childhood, he came through the youth ranks of Sparta Rotterdam and had a professional career that included more than 200 matches in the Eredivisie.
David played for teams such as Sparta Rotterdam, AZ Alkmaar, and Panathinaikos. His talent and footballing background led him to win a league and a Super Cup in the Netherlands, as well as titles in Austria and Greece. In his heyday, he also made six appearances in the Champions League, scoring one goal, and played seven games for the Netherlands national team between 2007 and 2009 to fulfil his childhood dream..
Despite all these successes on the field and a highly promising career, his decisions off the field led him to a grim fate, leaving behind the glory of football to face the harsh reality of prison.
Source: Ambito
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