Jose Mourinho has reportedly been fined €2m (£1.8m) and given a one-year suspended prison sentence after settling his Spanish tax evasion case. The Manchester United manager was charged last year with two counts of tax fraud dating back to when he coached Real Madrid. Prosecutors alleged that the Portuguese defrauded Spain’s tax office of €3.3m (£2.9m) in 2011 and 2012. Madrid-based newspaper El Mundo says he has now accepted a punishment.
Reuters reports that Mourinho is unlikely to serve any jail time in future as Spanish law states that a sentence under two years for a first-time offence can be served on probation. The 55-year-old made a brief appearance at a court in Madrid last November to answer questions in the case.
He said at the hearing that a tax bill from his time as Real Madrid boss had been paid. Prosecutors alleged Mourinho had failed to declare revenues from his image rights in his Spanish income tax declarations “with the aim of obtaining illicit profits”.
Mourinho left Real Madrid in 2013 to manage Chelsea for a second spell before signing with United in 2016. His representatives are yet to respond to the El Mundo report, while Manchester United and the Spanish tax agency declined to comment. Spanish authorities have cracked down on tax evasion in recent years, with a number of high-profile football players agreeing similar deals to Mourinho.
United did not comment on Tuesday night, saying it is a personal matter. The Spanish Attorney General’s Office refused to comment, while Mourinho’s representatives were approached for comment but did not respond.
Cristiano Ronaldo – who played under Mourinho at Real – received a suspended two-year prison sentence and was fined nearly £17m, while the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez and Javier Mascherano have been found guilty of tax evasion.
Mourinho is one of several stars investigated by the Spanish tax authorities, including Manchester United striker Alexis Sanchez, who accepted a 16-month suspended sentence for a similar offence.
Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo was reported to have reached a similar agreement while still a Real Madrid player in June involving a two-year sentence and a £16.95m fine.
Meanwhile, Ander Herrera wants to stay at United though he is still to agree a new contract.
The 29-year-old, a £32m signing from Athletic Bilbao in 2014, is in the final year of his contract and will be free to talk to foreign clubs from January.
On Tuesday, in another twist in the escalating row over Tottenham pushing their fixture with Manchester City back 24 hours, United supporters waded in by accusing Sky Sports of ‘naked commercial opportunism’.
Problems with Tottenham’s new stadium forced them to move the Wembley date to October 29, meaning United’s televised home clash with Everton was switched from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday afternoon.
United supporters’ trust, MUST, slammed the decision, with thousands of fans now left out of pocket after already stumping up for hotels and travel arrangements.