Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar: 10 tax fraud cases in football

Sport360 staff 22:58 20/06/2017

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.

The prison sentence will be suspended as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years.

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.

JOSE MOURINHO | SUSPECTED

Manchester United manager Mourinho is accused of evading 3.3 million euros in tax in 2011 and 2012, during his time in charge at Real Madrid. Like Ronaldo, Mourinho is a client of Portuguese super agent Jorge Mendes.

SAMUEL ETO’O | SUSPECTED

In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought a jail sentence of more than 10 years and fines totalling 18 million euros for Cameroonian football great Eto’o, who is accused of failing to pay 3.9 million euros in taxes during his time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.

Other footballers who have passed through Barcelona, including Brazil’s Adriano Correia and Chile’s Alexis Sanchez, have had similar legal woes.

NEYMAR | SUSPECTED

Brazilian star Neymar, who also plays for Barcelona, faces corruption charges in connection with the terms of his transfer from the Brazilian club Santos in 2013.

In November 2016, a Spanish prosecutor called for Neymar to face two years in prison and be fined 10 million euros.

Brazilian justice officials have frozen some of his assets, estimated at 43.5 million euros, while they determine if the forward did not declare a 10-million-euro payment by Barcelona to obtain preferential rights to his service.

RADAMEL FALCAO | SUSPECTED

Colombian striker Falcao is suspected of failing to correctly declare 5.6 million euros of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while he was at Atletico Madrid.

His agent is Mendes, who has been summoned before a Spanish court as part of the probe.

DIEGO MARADONA | SUSPECTED

In 2005, Argentine football legend Maradona was ordered to pay 37.2 million euros for tax fraud by Italy’s top court.

An Italian court in November 2012 admitted there had been a procedural error in the investigation and ordered a new inquiry, which is still ongoing.

Provided by AFP

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