BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — A Colombian court on Thursday ordered the seizure of a property belonging to legendary footballer Rene Higuita after concluding that Pablo Escobar’s cartel money was used to purchase the house.

Former Colombia international goalkeeper Higuita — famed for his outrageous overhead scorpion kick — acquired the home in an upscale Medellin neighborhood in 1992.

Prosecutors allege “manuevers” and forged signatures to “cover up the origin” of the sale, the office told AFP Thursday.

The deal entailed “successive transfers… until it finally ended up in the name of the former footballer” one year before bloodthirsty drug baron Escobar’s death, it added.

A 12-year investigation found that a front for brothers and cartel members William and Gerardo Moncada — both later killed in prison under Escobar’s orders — initially acquired the property.

“It is pure and simple coincidence,” Higuita told Bogota-based Blu Radio, adding that he considers himself a “victim of these events.”

The Medellin-born goalie has appealed the court decision and is allowed to hold on to the property in the meantime.

“El Loco” (the madman) first showed off his acrobatic scorpion kick, which entails kicking his legs up behind him to save goals, during a Colombia-England match in 1995.

Higuita’s run-ins with the drug world have also attracted attention.

He was arrested after visiting Escobar in prison in 1993, and investigated for mediating the release of a drug trafficker’s daughter who had been kidnapped by the kingpin.

He received an illegal payment for brokering the deal, but charges against him for doing so were later dropped.

“From then on they started calling me Pablo Escobar’s friend, and you have no idea how many problems that has caused me,” he said.