Di Maria Sentenced To One Year In Prison As PSG Star Admits Tax Fraud

Angel Di Maria has been handed a one-year prison sentence and fined £1.76 million after admitting tax fraud.

The former Manchester United winger admitted two separate counts of fraud which each carry a six-month sentence.

Now with Paris Saint-Germain, Di Maria was found guilty of defrauding the Spanish government a sum of £1.14m during his time at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014.

However, the 29-year-old is unlikely to spend any time behind bars. In Spain, sentences of under two-years are often suspended if the convicted person has no previous criminal record.

The Argentine had previously made a deal with authorities to avoid a trial at the Spanish Supreme Court.

Last year, Lionel Messi was found guilty of tax fraud along with his father and, though the Barcelona star was sentenced to 21 months in prison, did not serve time.

Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has come out fighting in a row with the Spanish tax authorities, claiming he paid more than €26million (£23m) between 2010-2013.

Manchester United have vowed to stand by their manager after he was accused of defrauding the taxman of €3.3m (£2.9m).

The United boss, valued at £61m by the Sunday Times Rich List last month, faces allegations of not paying taxes on image rights during his time as Real Madrid coach, with a lawsuit filed against him by the Public Prosecutor’s office in the capital.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who played under Mourinho at Real Madrid, has been called to testify on July 31 over allegations that he hid £12.9m income from tax authorities.