Neymar Charged With Tax Evasion By Brazilian Authorities

Barcelona and Brazil star Neymar was charged on Tuesday by Brazilian authorities with tax evasion and falsifying documents over a seven-year period.

The federal prosecutor’s office alleged that the striker committed the crimes between 2006, when he was just a promising youngster at Brazilian football club Santos, and 2013 when he signed for Barcelona.

In a related development, the Brazillian superstar appeared in court on Tuesday in connection with allegations of corruption and fraud surrounding his transfer to FC Barcelona.

Barcelona said it paid €57m (£43m) for Neymar in 2013 but investigators say the fee was closer to €83m and Barcelona concealed part of the deal.

Neymar spent an hour and a half before the judge.

He has previously denied wrongdoing, in an interview with Brazilian media.

Leaving court, the football star signed autographs for fans.

Barcelona FC says his parents, Neymar da Silva Santos and Nadine Goncalves da Silva Santos, received €40m and his former club, Santos, was paid €17m.

Neymar’s father, who arrived at court with him on Tuesday evening, acts as his agent.

Neymar Charged With Tax Evasion By Brazilian Authorities

I am Honest And Responsible - Mascherano On Tax Fraud

Javier Mascherano has released a statement after he was found guilty of tax fraud and sentenced to a year in prison and fined €815,000 (£625,000) for two tax offences

Mascherano published an open letter after the verdict in which he insisted he was an ‘honest and responsible person’.

He wrote: ‘I am a professional athlete, I have no great knowledge of tax and legal issues. Therefore, I’m helped by people that handles these issues, which for me are complex.

“Throughout my career I was an honest and responsible person, respecting my colleagues, the clubs I represent and the countries in which I lived.

“This situation I’m going through is another experience, from which I will come out stronger, and very calm as I am once again within the law.

‘I reserve the possibility of action against those who advised me badly by recommending me something which was not right.’

Mascherano is not the only Barcelona star who is having financial problems, with Messi set for a court appearance in May after he and his father were also charged with tax fraud through image rights arrangements.

Source: Daily Mail

I am Honest And Responsible - Mascherano On Tax Fraud

Barca Mascherano Sentenced To Prison

Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined €815,000 (£625,000) for two tax offences.

However, the star will likely not be spending a year behind bars, as his lawyer David Aineto has requested the prison sentence to be substituted for a fine.

In Spain people handed sentences of less than two years are not required to serve their sentence, unless they are being punished for violent crime.

Mascherano, 31, was given four-month and eight-month sentences for the two offences which took place in 2011 and 2012.

The Argentine star had already repaid the full €1.6million (£1.15million) debt owed to the tax authorities before he was given his punishment.

Mascherano also paid the interest on the money, but has still been hit with a new fine.

His tax offences were for failing to declare earnings from image rights he ceded to companies which he owns in Portugal and the United States.

 

Source: Daily Mail

Barca Mascherano Sentenced To Prison

Gideon Baah To Barcelona On A 6-Month Deal

When Telecommunication giants, MTN Ghana initiated Soccer Academy idea in 2007, they barely expected it’s product will one day be on the radar of arguably the best club in the World, Barcelona Football Club.

Reports emanating from Finland indicate that the inaugural winner of the MTN Soccer Academy, Gideon Baah is Spanish giants, Barcelona bound.

The Ghanaian left-back who plays HJK Helsinki, according to reports will join Barcelona on a 6-month deal.

Sources close to the player have been hinting of a possible move to join the Spanish champions but nothing has been confirmed by either HJK Helsinki or Barcelona although Finnish news outlet Urheilulehti has even stated that the deal has already been concluded.

The move is said to be a loan for 6 months with a view of a permanent deal in the future.

Sources close to the player say that Barcelona are eager to complete the deal ahead of other interested clubs who are willing to offer permanent deals.

Reports say Baah had been considering a switch from Helsinki and this move, should it materialise, will the former Asante Kotoko player the chance to play in a different league.

Gideon Baah To Barcelona On A 6-Month Deal

I am In Ghana To Unite The People - Sol Campbell

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal defender Sol Campbell says his aim for visiting Ghana is to unite the people ahead of this years elections.

Sol, 41, was a granite figure at the centre of defence for all his clubs –and was twice named in the team of the tournament at the World Cup, and a member of Arsenal’s “Invincibles” that went the 2003-04 league season unbeaten.

He captained Portsmouth, of which Sulley Muntari was a part of to win the 2008 FA Cup. In 2006 Sol Campbell became the only player in England’s history to play in six major tournaments for the Three Lions.

Having achieved so much in football, a game believe to be the vehicle for driving peace and togetherness, he was invited into the country by ex-Black Stars skipper Stephen Appiah to launch a peace match as football is the tool to bring Ghanaians together for the upcoming general elections.

Sol Campbell who honoured the invitation said football and politics are major ingredients for oneness and feels using football will help foster love in November 7 elections.

“It Is a pleasure to be here. I think is important for players like me to be motivated to honour this invitation,” the former West Ham United academy graduate told a section of the media at the Kotoka international airport upon arrival.

He added: “You have the elections coming up and having football and politics is quiteful together. You need to bring everybody together for peace and unity and playing some football I think is quite fantastic.”

Many Arsenal fans thronged to the Kotoka international airport to welcome the Jamaican-born England international with paraphernalias and he was excited to feel the love of the gunners in Ghana.

“I can see the fans out here and more importantly, I can feel the love and as i said earlier it is all about bringing everyone together.”

The peace match launch will take place on Monday January 18, 2016 at the State House at 18:00 GMT or 6 P.M local time, whilst the match itself, scheduled on a two-legged basis between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and a select side led by Stephen Appiah will take place on June 8 and 11 at the Baba Yara and Accra Sports Stadiums respectively.

I am In Ghana To Unite The People - Sol Campbell