Barcelona midfielder-cum-defender Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to one-year in prison and ordered to pay a fine of €815,000 after being found guilty of two tax offences.
The Argentine international had previously admitted two counts of fraud for failing to declare his earnings for the years 2011 and 2012, but has since admitted that he has paid back the €1.5m that he owed as well s coughing up €200,000 in fines.
But following the verdict, the 31-year-old’s lawyers have requested the immediate suspension of the sentence and have asked for it to be replaced with a fine.
Breaking: Barcelona's Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to one year in prison for tax evasion (El Mundo) pic.twitter.com/9opVA8zqit
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) January 21, 2016
Mascherano has also been fined €815,000. A further fine of around €21,000 likely to be issued as replacement for the prison sentence (SPORT)
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) January 21, 2016
Mascherano had earlier today denied the charges by saying: “I’m a sporting professional, I don’t have a great understanding of taxes and law.
“To deal with what are for me technical and complicated matters, I have to rely on other people.
“Throughout all my career I have been an honest person, responsible and respectful of my team-mates and the clubs that I have played for and the countries I have lived in.”
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