Jose Mourinho accepts prison sentence for tax fraud, but will not serve jail time
Former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has accepted a prison term in Spain for tax fraud, but will not go to jail.
The 56-year-old was handed a one-year prison sentence that he will swap for a fine of €182,500, which will be added on to a separate fine of €2m.
Spanish authorities rarely enforce sentences of below two years for non-violent or first-time offenders.
Mourinho was accused of owing the Spanish tax authorities some €3.3m from his time managing Real Madrid.
Prosecutors said he had created offshore companies to manage his image rights and hide the earnings from tax officials.
Image rights are a very lucrative source of extra income for footballers and managers.
The Spanish authorities argued that the move to create offshore companies to manage his image rights was designed to hide his financial gain from such deals.
Other big football names have also been handed prison sentences in Spain for tax crimes, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.