Several sport personalities have had brushes with the law over tax regulations and football is no exception.
From Argentinian footballing legend Diego Maradona to Barcelona star Lionel Messi, many football stars and officials have fallen foul of the taxman.
Here, we look at some of the biggest cases over the past few years.
LIONEL MESSI | CONVICTED
The five time world player of the year was sentenced in July 2016 to 21 months in prison, confirmed on appeal, for tax fraud, for avoiding paying taxes on 4.16 million euros ($4.6 million) of the player’s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.JAVIER MASCHERANO | CONVICTED
Messi’s Barcelona and Argentina teammate Mascherano accepted a one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after he was found guilty of failing to pay 1.5 million euros in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.ULI HOENESS | CONVICTED
President of German giants Bayern Munich, Hoeness was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars after being convicted in March 2014 of having evaded paying at least 28.5 million euros in taxes. He was released from prison in late February 2016 after serving 21 months of his sentence. In November 2016 he was reinstated as Bayern president.ROMARIO | CONVICTED
In 2009, the Brazilian 1994 world champion Romario de Souza Faria was sentenced to two and a half years of community service and fined 391,000 reales ($117,000) for tax fraud by a Rio de Janeiro court. Crumbling under debts and in spite of his legal woes the star striker then entered politics, being elected Brazilian deputy in 2010 and senator four years later.CRISTIANO RONALDO | SUSPECTED
Real Madrid star Ronaldo is accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax, and is to appear before a judge in Spain on July 31. The Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies between 2011 and 2014.💰 2013: Messi accused of tax fraud worth £3m.
— GeniusFootball (@GeniusFootball) June 13, 2017
💰 2017: Ronaldo accused of tax fraud worth £13m.
Beats Messi 😂
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