It appears Jose Mourinho is the latest figure in football to fall victim to the Spanish taxman, as the manager has reportedly accepted a one-year prison sentence over tax fraud. This is according to El Mundo (as per the Sun), with the newspaper claiming he has struck a plea bargain.
The Special One has been accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of approximately $3.7M during his spell at Real Madrid. That money he allegedly owes is from unpaid image rights in 2011 and 2012.
The Special One had already paid a six-figure fine back in 2015, but claims of false information given to authorities led to the case being reopened. The Man United tactician is tipped to pay $2.3M in fine, which amounts to 60% of the amount he allegedly defrauded.
The 55-year-old will not spend a day behind bars, however. In Spain, first-time offenders do not serve jail sentences of two years or less, with his sentence likely to be suspended as was the case with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
No official statements have emerged, but if this report is true, it will close the books on unwanted troubles for the Portuguese manager. He can now focus on the Red Devils without legal distractions, as he looks to rally his men back from an early slip-up.
The 20-time Premier League champion suffered back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Tottenham which led to severe criticism of Mourinho. The Old Trafford side bounced back with a 2-0 win away at Burnley, but a lot more work is needed before they return to action after the current international break.
