Rio de Janeiro, July 8 (IANS/EFE) A Brazilian professional soccer player, suspected in the disappearance of a former mistress who claimed he fathered her child, surrendered to police here, authorities said.

Bruno Fernandes, the goalkeeper for Brazil's most popular club Flamengo, turned himself in Wednesday along with his friend and fellow suspect Luiz Henrique Ferreira Romao at a police station in the neighbourhood of Andarai town, police said.

The player's wife, Dayane Souza, also a suspect in the case, was arrested earlier.

Police said that the Flamengo goalie was arrested in connection with the kidnap of 25-year-old Eliza Samudio, who has been missing since early June.

The player's 17-year-old cousin said in a police interrogation that Samudio, a model, is dead, but he did not say who killed her or where her body might be found.

The young man arrested Tuesday admitted to participating with Romao in kidnapping Samudio, who had been demanding that the player acknowledge his paternity of her 4-month-old son.

He said that the model was placed by force into a Fernandes' car and added that he hit the woman on the head with a pistol after she had an argument with Romao.

A DNA test released Wednesday confirmed that the traces of blood found in Fernandes' car belonged to Samudio.

Meanwhile, Flamengo removed the player from its official roster until the case is resolved.