Jose Mourinho accused of tax fraud
June 20, 2017
Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho owes the Spanish tax authorities 3.3 million euros ($3.7 million), a Madrid prosecutor said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Spanish prosecutors have accused the Portuguese coach of two counts of tax fraud dating back to 2011 and 2012, when he was Real Madrid head coach. Mourinho is accused of failing to have declared revenue from his image rights in his Spanish income tax declarations.
The prosecutors added that Mourinho had already settled a claim relating to his taxes, but some of that information was later found to be incorrect.
Last week, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax. The 32-year-old has denied the charges, but has threatened to leave Spain as a result. The Portugal superstar has been ordered to appear at a Madrid court on July 31.
Barcelona's Neymar and Lionel Messi have also had to deal with the Spanish tax authorities. Messi and his father were sentenced to 21 months in prison, but never served time because sentences of less than two years for first offenders are usually suspended in Spain. Barcelona had to pay a hefty fine to avoid trial and tax evasion charges for irregularities in Neymar's transfer to Barcelona back in 2013.
A judge will now have to decide whether the case should be heard in court. Mourinho, 54, is yet to comment on the accusation.
jh/mds (Reuters/dpa)