An Italian court on Wednesday sentenced Juventus striker Vincenzo Yacuenta to two years in jail for possession of arms and links to mafia gangs.
Prosecutors had asked for a 6-year jail term for the 38-year-old former German national who was part of the 2006 World Cup squad in Germany on charges of possession of arms and connection to the Nederangita mafia, which is concentrated in Calabria.
The court also enacted 19-year-old Giuseppe Yacuinta's father to 19 years in prison in the trial of 148 people in the largest case of Mafia activity in northern Italy.
Giuseppe and Vincenzo described the verdict as "ridiculous" and "disgraceful", shouting in the courtroom of Reggio Emilia, after the verdict was handed down after two weeks of intense security.
Yakuenta played 40 caps for Italy, scoring six goals and spending much of his professional career with Udinese before joining Juventus in 2007, where he remained until his retirement at the end of the 2012-2013 season.
