Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has accepted a one-year prison sentence over tax fraud that took place during his time in charge of Real Madrid.
Mourinho, the Portuguese, is accused accused of owing nearly €3.3million in undeclared image rights revenue, and will also pay a €2million fine on top of his sentence, which is suspended due to being under two years.
The 56-year-old was Real Madrid manager for three years between 2010 and 2013, and Spanish prosecutors said he failed to declare revenues ‘with the aim of obtaining illicit profits’.
Mourinho is said to have created ‘multiple business entities in the British Virgin Islands and elsewhere’ to obscure his financial gain from images rights deals.
The income was then left undeclared in his tax statements.
Tuesday’s court hearing was short as Mourinho had already accepted a deal in advance with tax officials.
Mourinho, who was sacked by Manchester United in December, is the latest football personality to be involved in a legal battle with the Spanish authorities.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Juventus forward, accepted an €18.8million fine last month in a case also concerning image rights, while Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Neymar, formerly of the Camp Nou club, are also at the centre of tax cases.