Ex-Barcelona football star found guilty of £3.3m tax fraud

Ex-Barcelona football star, Samuel Eto’o, has been found guilty of tax fraud today, June 20, according to the UK Times

The footballer has been handed a 22-month suspended prison sentence after admitting tax fraud to the tune of £3.32m (€3.7m).

The tax fraud charge is in relation to failing to declare the transfer of image rights as personal income for three years during his time at Barcelona Football Club. Instead, he taxed the image rights through two companies, one in Hungary and one in Spain, so he was not taxed as heavily as he should have been.

The former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker admitted the offence but alleges that he was a victim of manipulation by his former agent Jose Maria Mesalles.

In his defence, Samuel said that he was young and saw his agent as a father figure.

In a statement, the 41-year-old said he would repay all of the money but sought to put the responsibility on Mesalles, who he viewed as a father at the time of the offences.

Eto’o was 25 years old at the start of the offences and was midway through his spell at the Nou Camp in Barcelona.

Eto’o is currently a Cameroonian football administrator and former Cameroonian player, currently president of the Cameroonian Football Federation.