Real Madrid's Marcelo Becomes Latest La Liga Star to Be Investigated for Tax Fraud
The Spanish tax agency have reopened a tax fraud investigation against Real Madrid left-back Marcelo over payments regarding his image rights.
AS report that the investigation is over a possible fraud of €400,000 dating back to 2013, in relation to image rights. The case is being reinvestigated as the Real star declared the income on his 2015 tax return as corporation tax, while authorities claim that it should have been paid as personal income tax.
The case qualifies for investigation as it exceeds the €120,000 limit needed in Spain for a fraud case to be opened, and will now be passed on to the Spanish financial crimes investigators where they will decide whether there was any intention on Marcelo’s part to purposely defraud the tax authorities.
The Brazilian is far from the first of La Liga's stars to be in Spanish tax investigators' cross-hairs, with Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Neymar (now at Paris Saint-Germain) and Los Blancos teammate Cristiano Ronaldo being looked at closely in recent years.
Mascherano and Messi were both found guilty of their respective offences, while a case is still ongoing against Portugal star and Ballon d'Or favourite Ronaldo.
Marcelo, largely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, has been at the Bernabeu since 2007 - becoming an integral part of the Real Madrid team which won La Liga last season and secured back-to-back Champions League titles. He recently signed a new contract that will keep him in Madrid until 2022, and has become the vice-captain of the team.
