Neymar in court: Top 5 footballers, including Cristiano, Messi who faced legal battles 

Football may be often referred to as the beautiful game, a phrase coined by Brazilian legend Pele for the title of his 1977 autobiography, but it has sometimes struggled to live up to its lofty reputation.

Here are five instances when the world's most followed and loved game was embroiled in legal scandals.

Neymar Jr in court on fraud charges

Paris St Germain and Brazil soccer star Neymar Jr. will on Tuesday testify in court during his trial on fraud and corruption charges over his transfer to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.

Spanish prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison term for the 30-year-old striker in addition to a mega 10 million euro ($9.8 million) fine. They are also pursuing an 8.4 million euro fine for the club.

Eight other defendants are also on trial, including his parents, Neymar Sr. and Nadine Santos., former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and former Santos president Odilio Rodrigues.

Judge Jose Manuel del Amo Sanchez will review a claim made by Brazilian investment firm DIS, which owned 40% of the rights to Neymar when he was at Santos. They have argued that they lost their share from the player's transfer because the deal was undervalued.

DIS is seeking a five-year jail term for Neymar, fines worth 149 million euros a playing ban on Neymar during the length of any sentence handed down.

Bruce Grobbelaar loses libel case against The Sun

Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, one of the game's most colourful characters, had his image tarnished when a British tabloid, The Sun, alleged in November 1994 that he had taken £40,000 from a betting syndicate to ensure that Liverpool lost 3-0 to Newcastle.

The newspaper provided the court with video recordings of the goalkeeper discussing match-fixing and accepting a £2,000 up-front payment from an undercover reporter. Grobbelaar pleaded not guilty, claiming that he was working with the police.

Grobbelaar counter-sued The Sun for libel and was awarded £85,000 but the newspaper appealed and Grobbelaar was made to pay The Sun's legal costs of £500,000.

He declared bankruptcy and did not pay.

The case of Ronaldo and his CR7 logo

Christopher Renzi, the owner of the "CR7" trademark in the U.S., fought Cristiano Ronaldo in court for stealing his patented name for an underwear range featuring the football star’s initials and symbolic stamp in America.

Renzi is said to have registered the same initials, which refer to his name and date of birth, for a range of branded clothes years earlier.

The case was suspended.

Ronaldo currently enjoys several major sponsorship deals advertising Nike and Tag Heuer products.

The ex-Barcelona star pleaded guilty to entering with a fake passport and paid a $200,000 fine.