Angel di Maria settles Spanish tax case and pays 2m euros fine

Angel di Maria won the Champions League with Real in 2014 before joining Manchester United for £59.7m

Former Manchester United winger Angel di Maria has agreed to pay 2m euros (£1.76m) to settle a tax case in Spain, according to Spanish authorities.

He will plead guilty to two charges of fraud relating to image rights during his time at Real Madrid.

Di Maria, 29, who now plays for Paris St-Germain, is one of many high-profile players and managers to have their financial affairs under scrutiny.

United manager Jose Mourinho and Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo deny charges.

Mourinho has been accused by prosecutors of defrauding Spain of 3.3m euros (£2.9m) in taxes while he was Real Madrid coach from 2011 to 2012.

And Ronaldo is accused of evading tax of 14.7m euros (£13m) from 2011 to 2014.

Argentina international Di Maria is accused of failing to pay 1.3m euros to the Spanish tax authorities in 2012-2013 by giving up his image rights to companies based in tax havens, such as Panama.

The two charges of fraud which he is pleading guilty to carry an eight-month prison sentence each, but under Spanish law, a first-time offender is not required to serve time in jail for a sentence below two years. 

In 2016, Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano received a one-year suspended prison sentence for tax fraud while Barca superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar are both currently awaiting court decisions.

Both players deny any wrongdoing.

BBC