FC Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has released a statement today on Twitter in which he says he has reached an agreement with the Spanish authorities and the court over the concerning charges of tax fraud. Many reports have stated that he has been sentenced to a one year jail sentence, but his lawyer has stated that they try to appeal the sentence and have it bumped down to a fine.
The Situation
The Spanish court sentenced him on Thursday to pay a fine of 815,000 euros and a year in jail, something that Mascherano's lawer was asked to change to a financial penalty of 21,000 euros instead. While this isn't exactly the first situation that a player from the Blaugrana has been facing, players such as Neymar and Lionel Messi, the latter to stand trial in May on this year, it seems that for El Jefecito, it's the same thing. Mascherano had failed to pay taxes in 2011 and 2012 which amounted to €1.5million.
Social Media
In a statement he tweeted on his official Twitter account, he said in both his native Spanish and English that ''I'm a sporting professional, I don't have a great understanding of taxes and law. To deal with what are for me technical and complicated matters, I have to rely on other people. Throughout all my career I have been an honest person, responsible and respectful of my team-mates and the clubs that I have played for and the countries I have lived in.''
The 31 year old Argentine also suggested he could pursue legal action himself against the firm which he claims gave him poor advice and which led to the case being opened. He is expected to finish the season with Barcelona and could play in the 2016 Copa America in the United States later in the summer.