NAPLES - Former Real Madrid Star Fabio Cannavaro has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for entering his own home.

The 41-year-old football coach, who captained Italy to a 2006 World Cup win, is under investigation for tax evasion, and police had seized his villa in Naples.

According to Italian prosecutors, Cannavaro, his wife Daniela Arenoso and his brother Paolo, went for a dip in the pool even though the police had tape around the property.

Daniela and Paolo have been slapped with custodial sentences, Eurosport UK said.

The trio have appealed, and the sentences have been suspended until the appeals are evaluated.

The Guardian reported that Cannavaro's company Fd Service owes over €1m (S$1.54 million) in unpaid taxes, and his yacht has also been seized.

Cannavaro, a former world player of the year, is currently the coach of Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande.