Jose Mourinho accepts suspended jail sentence

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is not having the best of times at the moment. After seeing his team struggle on the pitch – losing two of their opening four games – during the early part of the Premier League campaign, he is now facing the wrath of the Spanish tax authorities and has reportedly accepted a suspended jail sentence after admitting to tax fraud worth €3.3million.

According to El Mundo, Mourinho defrauded the Spanish Tax Office of €3.3million in 2011 and 2012, charges which the Portuguese accepted. He has been slapped with 2 six-month suspended prison sentences and a fine of £1.78m.

The United boss has been accused of hiding his earnings from image rights during his time as Real Madrid manager, as well as using offshore companies in various countries, including New Zealand and British Virginia, to conceal his income to the tune of around €3.3m. However, he will not have to serve time due to the nature of Spanish laws that state that first-time offenders can serve probation for a sentence under two years.

Mourinho had earlier claimed that he had paid all his dues and that the case was closed 10 months ago. “I did not answer, I did not argue. I paid and signed with the state that I am in compliance and the case is closed,” he explained after a hearing in a Pozuelo de Alarcon court. He did, however, remain under investigation according to an official spokesperson.

The 55-year-old has now reached an agreement with the authorities, and the prosecuting court will be informed of the same in the coming days.

Mourinho is not the only high-profile name to have been accused of tax fraud, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexis Sanchez all rubbing the authorities the wrong way.