Patrice Evra sentenced to probation for family neglect

Former Manchester United and French national team defender Patrice Evra is in a difficult situation after being sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison sentence on Friday and owes nearly one million euros in unpaid maintenance, according to Le Parisien.

Evra was found guilty in one count of familial neglect of his wife Sandra Evra after leaving her to be with his current partner. They separated in 2020, but their divorce is still pending. They have two children together.

Evra’s prison sentence is suspended for two years. In addition to the outstanding maintenance payments, he must cover his wife’s legal costs and pay 4,000 euros in “non-pecuniary damages”.

Evra and his lawyers have appealed the court’s decision.

Evra’s playing career spanned two decades, with the Frenchman making 379 appearances for Manchester United between 2005 and 2014. He was a key player in the team that won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League double in 2007/08 and has won seven league medals during his time at Old Trafford and Juventus.

Since his retirement, Evra has worked as a pundit for ITV and Amazon, completed coaching qualifications at United and participated in the purchase of Portuguese club CF Estrela da Amadora with an investment group.

This incident is not the first time Evra has run into trouble in French courts. In 2023, he was convicted and fined for making homophobic remarks during an altercation at the Parc de Princes following Manchester United’s last-minute UEFA Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain. Since then, he has spoken out in favor of the acceptance of gay footballers and paid court-ordered compensation for anti-hate campaigns.