Roberto Firmino has been banned from driving for a year and fined after admitting a drink-driving charge.
The Liverpool FC striker’s Range Rover was stopped by police on The Strand in the early hours of Christmas Eve and charged with being over the legal driving limit.
Firmino arrived at Liverpool Magistrates Court less than 12 hours after he had finished playing in his side’s 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Chelsea.
He had originally been due to appear on Tuesday morning but was granted a 24-hour delay to allow him to feature in the Anfield match.
But the Brazil international left court this morning after the rescheduled case was adjourned until 2pm due to a mix-up in obtaining a Portuguese interpreter.
The court heard that Firmino, who entered a guilty plea, was stopped by police at 3am on December 24 after being seen driving across the carriageway of Strand Street.
Michael Hogan, the 25-year-old’s lawyer, claimed that the footballer had been for dinner with friends and family on Hanover Street prior to being stopped.
Firmino and his family had moved into a city centre hotel earlier in the day on police advice after their South Liverpool home had been targeted by thieves.
Mr Hogan also argued that the layout of the stretch of road where the footballer was stopped caused him to briefly drive on the wrong side of the road.
But District Judge Shelvey imposed a 12-month driving ban, which could be reduced to nine months on the completion of a drink-driving course.
She also ordered the player, who joined Liverpool in 2015, to pay a fine of £20,000.
In a statement after the hearing, Firmino said: “I apologise, without reservation, to the club, the manager, my teammates and the supporters for putting myself in this situation.
“What I have done is wrong and sets a bad example.
“I promise to everyone in the LFC family, that I will learn from this mistake, learn from this experience, and not repeat it in the future.”
Liverpool also responded to the ruling and confirmed that Firmino had been disciplined following the incident two months ago.
“The player has been disciplined by the club for his actions and reminded of his responsibilities for the present and the future,” a club spokesman said.
“The nature of this action will remain private, however it does not impact on his availability for selection in matches.
“The club considers this to be an isolated incident, and a rare lapse in judgement and professionalism.
“We will work with the player to further educate him on the dangers associated with drink driving specifically.”