Rabah Madjer was part of the draw ceremony for 2022 World Cup finals. Image Source: Getty Images
Rabah Madjer was part of the draw ceremony for 2022 World Cup finals. Image Source: Getty Images

Former Algeria international and coach Rabah Madjer has been sentenced to six months in prison for making “false declarations” regarding financial transactions.

The 63-year-old was found guilty by an Algerian court of continuing to bank cheques from a public advertising agency for a year after two newspapers which he owned had closed down.

Despite charges of forgery and fraud being dropped Madjer and a co-defendant, named as Brahim M, were jailed and ordered to pay 500,000 dinars ($3,435) to the national publishing and advertising agency (ANEP).

Madjer, who scored to help Porto beat Bayern Munich in the 1987 European Cup final, has denied any wrongdoing and says he will appeal against the ruling.

“All I can tell you is that I had nothing to do with this case. Neither near nor far. I am innocent,” he told the AFP news agency.

As well as the famous back-heeled goal against Bayern Munich, Madjer also scored a crucial goal in a 2-1 victory against West Germany at the 1982 World Cup.

Madjer, who now spends much of his time living in Qatar, later went on to coach Algeria’s national football team three times, but was sacked from his most resent spell in June 2018 after eight months in the job following a string of defeats.