Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho has said he paid everything he owed the Spanish tax authorities all through his time as coach of Real Madrid.
Mourinho arrived at the Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 4 in Pozuelo de Alarcon in the Spanish capital to answer charges of a €3.3 million tax fraud from 2011 to 2012, which involved image rights, of which he denied the charges.
“I was told that my tax situation was completely legal. A few years later I was told that there was an investigation opened and they told me that to regularise my situation I had to pay sum X.
“I did not answer, I did not argue, I have paid and signed with the state that I am definitely in compliance and the case is closed. That is why I am here, nothing else,” he said after the hearing.
The court case is however not closed yet as Mourinho has said he would not pay any additional sum as he has cleared all his tax payment. It is apparently up to Judge Enrique Presa to make his final decision pending additional evidences from the country’s tax agency.
The former Real Madrid coach is been accused of using companies in Ireland, New Zealand and the British Virgin Islands to conceal image rights income received when he was coach of Real Madrid.
The Portuguese said he had earlier paid the sum of €26 million in taxes during his spell at Madrid and had previously entered a settlement agreement regarding 2013.
Mourinho comes as the latest football icon being targeted by the Spain’s tax authorities, after Lionel Messi and his father were found guilty on a three count charge of defrauding tax authorities of €4.1 million.
Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo however has continued in his fight against the Spanish tax agency and is likely to be called upon in the coming months to give further evidences. He is being accused of a €14.7 million.
Ronaldo had earlier told the Judge during a 90 minutes hearing that he had done nothing wrong and he was only being targeted due to his fame.
Earlier, Di Maria and Carvalho recently cleared their names, while Falcao and Coentrao are yet to clear theirs.
