Events leading up to a footballer being accused of tax evasion are usually quite complex. It may stem from who these players chose as their agents and managers, ranging from childhood friends, family members, to a renown agent who engages other professionals like a tax and finance manager.
Why top footballers face tax fraud accusations in Spain [Sport]
Usually most footballers get incompetent persons who may tend to act in their own interest by setting up small and secretly run structures to hide extra money that these players make from image rights and other non-club payments.
From the Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o, while at Barcelona fc, Brazilian Neymar, Spaniard Xabi Alonso, Leo Messi and now Christiano Ronaldo, these top rated footballers all came under accusations of tax evasion by the Spanish Law.
A situation which is rarely recorded in other top 5 European leagues.
We hook up with a tax expert,
Alex Cobham Chief Executive at the Tax Justice Network
Based in England, United Kingdom.
Ronaldo now with Juventus had to cut a deal with a court in Madrid over tax evasion charges accepting to pay an 18.8 million Euro fine.
The football superstar was accused of avoiding paying tax in Spain between 2010 and 2014, when he was playing for Real Madrid and based in the Spanish capital.