Raja Nainggolan, Getty Images October 31, 2025, 5:30 p.m

The famous Belgian midfielder Raja Nainggolan, a former star of Inter and Roma, found himself at the center of a criminal scandal. The 36-year-old football player faces up to five years in prison on charges of money laundering.

The case is related to the large-scale investigation of the Brussels prosecutor’s office into drug trafficking. Nainggolan was arrested back in January as a suspected member of a criminal group involved in drug smuggling from South America to Europe. Then he spent the night in jail, and his car was confiscated. ​

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the player’s current club, the Belgian Lokeren, publicly supported their footballer.

“It’s an unpleasant situation,” club chairman Hans Van Duysen was quoted as saying by HLN.

“We adhere to the principle that Raja is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”