Di Maria fined £1.76m for tax fraud

Former Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria has been given a one-year prison sentence and fined €2million (£1.76m) after pleading guilty to two counts of tax fraud in Spain.

The Argentinian, who now plays for Paris Saintgermain, is unlikely to spend any time behind bars though – most sentences under two years in Spain are suspended for first-time offenders.

Di Maria spent four seasons with Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014 and the case relates to the 29-year-old’s image rights in 2012 and 2013. He has agreed to repay £1.14m as well as a 60 per cent fine. This is similar to deals struck with the Spanish taxman by fellow Argentinians Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi last year.

Messi and his father were given 21-month sentences for three counts of tax fraud but did not go to prison, while Mascherano was given a one-year sentence for tax evasion.