Berlin, Jul 5 (IANS/EFE): Brazil's Breno Vinicius Rodrigues Borges, a former player for Bayern Munich, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and nine months in jail for intentionally burning down his house in Germany.

A Munich court found that Breno set fire to his rented villa in the exclusive neighbourhood of Grunewald and ordered that he immediately be sent to prison to begin serving his sentence.

The 22-year-old soccer player broke his silence shortly bfore the end of the trial to ask the judges for clemency.

"I want to apologize for what happened that night" both to Bayern Munich and to the owner of the villa, which was completely destroyed, Breno said.

The soccer player extended his apology to his family and his children "for whom I have not been a good example. I'm a person who believes in God and I'm grateful to him for having protected my family".

The court found that the player set fire to the building, which since that time has been razed due to the extensive damage it suffered, because of the frustration he felt over a knee injury.

Despite the fact that he had been drinking alcohol at the time of the incident, the judges found that the player acted in a premeditated manner in setting fire to the villa his family had abandoned shortly before and which at the time of the fire was unoccupied.

Breno began his professional career in 2007 playing for FC Sao Paulo, and he was transferred in 2008 to Bayern Munich, with which he signed a four-year contract which just expired and has not been renewed.