Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano accepted a one-year prison sentence for tax evasion on Thursday as part of a plea bargain, Spanish media reported, although he is unlikely to serve time in jail.
The 31-year-old Argentina international, who joined Barca in
August 2010, pleaded guilty last year to defrauding the Spanish tax
authorities of more than 1.5 million euros (£1.15m) by concealing
earnings from his image rights by using companies set up in the United
States and Portugal.
During a brief appearance in court on Thursday, he agreed to pay
an 800,000 euro (£612,000) fine and cover the legal costs, the
newspaper El Pais reported. Sentences shorter than two years are not
usually enforced in Spain.
Mascherano also paid back the unpaid tax plus almost 200,000 euros (£153,000) in interest.
In a tweet, Mascherano acknowledged the plea bargain, and said he
reserved the right to take legal action against those who had given him
poor advice on his personal finances.
"I'm a sporting professional, I don't have a great understanding
of tax and legal matters," the Argentine international said in his
statement.
"Therefore, 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.
''I reserve the possibility of action against those who have
badly advised me by recommending something that was not right."
Mascherano's Barcelona and Argentina team mate Lionel Messi,
FIFA's world footballer of the year, is due to appear in court with his
father at the end of May to answer charges of tax fraud.
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