He dazzled fans with his goals while wearing the jerseys of both Real Madrid and Barcelona. Known for his low-key profile on and off the pitch, it was surprising to see this former striker making headlines for a different reason. The celebrated forward found himself in the spotlight, but not for his football prowess—this time, it was due to his arrest by police in Andorra.

The Argentine forward Javier Saviola, was detained by police and spent the night in a cell after authorities determined he was unfit to drive due to alcohol consumption.

In the early hours of the morning, former Argentina striker was involved in a notable incident while returning from a private party. The ex-footballer was stopped by Andorran police, who conducted a breathalyzer test. The results revealed that his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.

In Andorra, the legal blood alcohol limit is set at 0.5 grams per liter, but Saviola registered a staggering 1.10 grams. That’s more than double the allowed limit. Authorities, upon evaluating the condition of the player who was behind the wheel of his vehicle, determined he was unfit to drive and subsequently took him into custody.

Javier Saviola of Real Madrid reacts after missing a shot on goal during a Copa del Rey 2nd leg match between Real Madrid and Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on January 16, 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Now that he has regained his freedom, the next step is determining the penalty for the incident. It’s expected that he will face a hefty fine and could potentially lose his driver’s license for at least a year.

Javier Saviola: A remarkable football career

The forward who emerged from River Plate in Argentina went on to enjoy a distinguished career with several top European clubs, amassing a collection of significant titles along the way. Here’s a look back at the clubs where he made his mark:
  • Club Atletico River Plate (Argentina)
  • FC Barcelona (Spain)
  • Real Madrid (Spain)
  • Benfica (Portugal)
  • Olympiakos (Greece)
  • Hellas Verona (Italy)
  • Sevilla (Spain)
  • Malaga (Spain)
  • Monaco (France)
Saviola of Olympiacos FC celebrates a goal during the greek Super League match between Olympiacos FC and Atromitos FC at Karaiskakis Stadium on August 25, 2013 in Piraeus, Greece.

Javier Saviola and his current status

After a successful career as a soccer player, where he wore several jerseys including the Argentina national team, Javier Saviola is now serving as the assistant coach to Oscar Lopez with the FC Barcelona Juvenil ‘A’ team.

Not only that, but he is also a futsal player for FC Encamp, with whom he has won four consecutive league titles.