Aboutrika, who has lived in exile in Qatar since 2013, was not in court on Monday for the verdict, the Associated Press agency reports.

The court said Aboutrika failed to pay $39,500 in taxes on income from advertising deals with carbonated drink and telecommunications companies in 2008 and 2009.

Egyptian authorities froze his assets in 2015 and placed him in a no-fly list last year over allegations of links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities have labelled a terrorist organisation.

He openly has openly sympathised with the Muslim Brotherhood and publicly endorsed Mohammed Morsi in his successful presidential run in 2012, a year after the overthrow of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, AP reports.

Aboutrika has, however, denied funding Islamist organisations.

The former attacking midfielder played for Cairo’s Al-Ahly club and was central to two of Egypt’s three straight African Cup of Nations titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Those triumphs made Egypt Africa’s most successful team with a record seven titles.

Aboutrika was dubbed “Prince of Hearts” and “The Magician” by his fans.