Eliza Samudio, 25, was abducted, tortured and murdered in 2010 after giving birth to Fernandes' child, who was later found abandoned in a slum.

Parts of her body were allegedly fed to the player's dogs, with other remains thought to have been buried in concrete. They have never been found.

Fernandes, a goalkeeper who was tipped to represent Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, admitted knowing about Samudio's death but denied ordering the kidnapping and murder.

Two other men, Fernandes' friend Luiz Henrique Ferreira Romao and former policeman Marcos Aparecido dos Santos, have also been charged in connection with the murder.