Sanchez tax sanction

UNITED ace Alexis Sanchez has been handed a 16 month jail sentence for tax fraud during his time at Barcelona - but will avoid serving time.

The 29-year-old Chilean striker was accused of defrauding the Spanish Treasury of 1M euros – £880,000 – and hiding the income of image rights between 2012 and 2013.

Sanchez was given two eight-month sentences but will avoid jail as he is a first time offender and the sentence is less than two years. It is reported that he will pay the money back plus interest, along with a fine of 590,065 euros.

Sanchez’s representative posted a lengthy ‘public declaration and clarification’ about the case on Twitter.

Fernando Felicevich’s statement expressed anger about “repeated, continuous and obscene leaks” of information from such cases in Spain, suggesting it pressures figures in football to accept agreements.

He said the accused are ‘almost all foreigners’ and Sanchez’s team had decided ‘it is better to accept an unfair agreement’.

The statement said: “In these circumstances, and despite having shown Alexis has not committed any crime, we have been forced, on the recommendation of our advisors, to accept the unfair pact offered and thus alleviate the emotional, personal and economic wear and tear that endures long and tedious oral trials.”