The whispers are growing louder. What started as one or two investigations into allegations of tax improprieties now feels to some Barcelona fans like a witch hunt. The latest victims? Samuel Eto’o and Neymar.
Samuel Eto’o Fils, called Samuel Eto’o, who turned 35 this year, currently plays as a striker for Antalyaspor, a soccer club in Turkey. Eto’o’s Spanish connection came early in his career when he joined Real Madrid’s youth academy as a teen. He eventually signed on with FC Barcelona in the summer of 2004. Eto’o stayed with FC Barcelona for more than five seasons, scoring over 100 goals.
Spanish prosecutors allege that for part of that time, 2006-2009, Eto’o failed to pay over $4 million in taxes. They are seeking a fine of $15.1 million as well as a prison sentence of 10 years and six months. Nope, not a typo. More than ten years.
Spanish prosecutors are also seeking prison time for Eto’o’s agent at the time of the alleged fraud, Jose Maria Mesalles Mata, as well as for the administrator of a company said to be involved.
Eto’o has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Authorities are also continuing their pursuit of soccer superstar Neymar: that, of course, isn’t news. But what is news is that Spanish prosecutors are now seeking prison for the Barcelona superstar. Reportedly, prosecutors are asking that the striker be sentenced to two years in prison and pay a considerable fine for alleged corruption involved in Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona from his former club, Santos.
Reportedly, payments related to the signing were made to a Brazilian company controlled by Neymar’s father, which Spanish prosecutors had previously alleged were taxable but disguised as other payments to avoid reporting and tax requirements. Payments were also made to Neymar’s former club, Santos. Santos, believing it had been cheated, filed court papers to find out more details of the transaction. At the time, Neymar and his father denied any wrongdoing, suggesting that any resulting tax consequences of the sale would be addressed in Brazil. That’s what happened.
Last year, a Brazilian judge charged Neymar with tax avoidance. As a result, the judge ordered 188.8 million reals ($47.75 million U.S.) of Neymar’s assets frozen: that amount is roughly three times more than the amount of tax at issue. In March of this year, Neymar was found guilty of tax evasion in Brazil. As a result, Neymar was ordered to pay 188.8 million Brazilian reals in penalty, interest, and back taxes.
In the meantime, Spanish prosecutors were still busy at work, following up on allegations that Neymar’s club, FC Barcelona, engaged in wrongdoing related to Neymar’s transfer. In June of this year, FC Barcelona agreed to pay €9.3 million ($10.42 million U.S.) in back taxes and a fine of €5.5 million ($6.16 million U.S.) to Spanish tax authorities to settle a tax dispute related to the charges. In total, the team was said to be on the hook for €14.8 million ($16.58 million U.S.) in back taxes and fines; the club has reportedly already paid €13.5 million ($15.12 million U.S.) in good faith.
Despite the club’s tax settlement, prosecutors are still seeking to hold Neymar accountable for his alleged part in the fraud related to the transfer. Prosecutors are also pushing for prison time for Neymar’s father and former FC Barcelona club president Sandro “Sandy” Rosell. Prosecutors have dismissed charges against current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, finding that he did not directly participate in talks related to the transfer.
In 2016, Neymar was ranked #72 on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list and #21 on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest Paid Athletes with an estimated $14.5 million in salary and $23 million in endorsements. He joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the list; the superstars are ranked #1 and #2, respectively. Unlike Messi, who was found guilty on tax evasion charges earlier this year, Ronaldo has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to taxes.
Critics of the aggressive tax pursuit of soccer stars in Spain note that Ronaldo plays for Real Madrid and not Barcelona; high profile players tied to Barcelona – but not Real Madrid – have been consistently dogged by allegations of tax evasion. Earlier this month, Arsenal forward (and former Barcelona player) Alexis Sanchez was accused by Barcelona tax authorities of committing tax fraud in Spain; Sanchez, who will turn 28 this year, signed on to play with Arsenal in 2014 after playing several seasons with Barcelona beginning in 2011. Sanchez joined fellow superstars Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), and Adriano (formerly Barcelona, now Beşiktaş) in answering questions regarding alleged tax evasion in Spain.
