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Jose Mourinho Accused Of Tax Fraud While At Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho Accused Of Tax Fraud While At Real Madrid

Accused of defrauding the tax authorities out of around €3.3 million (£2.9m).

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has had a tax evasion claim filed against him by Spanish prosecutors, it has emerged today.

The Portuguese manager is accused of defrauding the tax authorities out of around €3.3 million (£2.9m) while in charge of Real Madrid, reports the BBC.

In a statement released earlier today, a Spanish prosecutor said Mourinho had committed two counts of tax fraud between 2011 and 2012, saying that 'corporate structures were used by the accused in order to conceal revenues generated from his image rights'.

It is alleged that Mourinho failed to declare the earnings from his image rights when he submitted his tax returns for the relevant years.

However, he is yet to personally comment on the matter and it will be down to a judge to decide whether or not the matter will go to court.


Credit: PA

Mourinho isn't the only high-profile name in Spanish football to have hit headlines for dodging tax in recently weeks.

Cristiano Ronaldo is facing allegations that he defrauded the Spanish tax office of €14.7 million (£12.9m).

Madrid's state prosecutor said that the player used what it deemed to be a 'shell company' in the Virgin Islands to 'create a screen in order to hide his total income from Spain's tax office'.

Ronaldo has denied any wrong doing and Real Madrid have issued a statement supporting their player.

Real Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, has since reiterated his support of Ronaldo.

In an interview on Onda Cero radio Perez said: "I will defend [Ronaldo] at all costs as both a player and as a person. [I have] complete confidence [that he is innocent], he has always wanted to fulfill his fiscal commitments.

"There must be some sort of confusion which will be clarified. What I have been told is that he has the same structure [in Spain] that he had in England -- and there was no problem there.

"I'm sure Cristiano wouldn't want us to pay his fine if there was one - he's not like that. If he's angry it's because he feels unjustly treated."

He continued: "I've been affected by how the Cristiano news has been treated by the media. The presumption of innocence has not been respected. The only thing I know is that he's angry about the treatment the media have given him. [Ronaldo's agent Jorge] Mendes called me and told me that."


Credit: PA

Ronaldo is set to give evidence in court on July 31.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was last year handed a 21 month suspended prison sentence for tax fraud.

Prosecutors in Barcelona found that Messi, and his father, had dodged tax on his image rights and owed over €4 million (£3.5m) in back payments.

Source: Onda Cero, BBC

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Ronaldo, Real Madrid