Marcelo Set to Pay Spanish Tax Office €500k After Admitting Guilt Over Evasion Charges

Marcelo has agreed to pay back almost €500,000 tax that he owes to the Spanish authorities after a brief court hearing on Tuesday.

The Real Madrid defender will fork over €490,917.70 in unpaid tax, according to Marca, after he accepted that he had conned the Spanish treasury out of the money during his time with the reigning La Liga champions.

Marcelo had been accused of creating a corporate structure to hide his image rights from the authorities between 2011 and 2013 - a period of three years that enabled him to dodge paying tax on those rights.

CURTO DE LA TORRE/GettyImages

The case was brought forward by the Spanish prosecutor once it was determined that the 29-year-old had been found out and, after Marcelo agreed that he had committed tax fraud, was also handed a suspended jail sentence for the cover up.

Marcelo's case took place at Court No. 4 in Alcobendas, just a few miles north of the Spanish capital, and was over and done with in 10 minutes.

The left-back must now register the charges brought against him to officially confirm that he has agreed to them, while the state attorney and prosecutor will draw up a letter of conformity that binds Marcelo into the arrangement to pay back the taxes he owes.

The Rio de Janiero-born footballer is the latest Real star - past or present - to be indicted by the Spanish courts over allegations of tax fraud.

Cristiano Ronaldo has already stood before the courts over his own supposed tax evasion, while former boss and current Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has also become embroiled in the scandal.

Super agent Jorge Mendes is believed to have been part of the set up as well, but he is yet to see charges brought against him and is merely being utilised as a witness for the likes of Ronaldo and Mourinho.