Top football agent investigated for alleged Mallorca villa purchase fraud

Calvia.—A leading football agent, Fali Ramadani, is under investigation for an alleged fraud in respect of the purchase of a luxury villa in Calvia. He is said to have defrauded the Spanish treasury of 12 million euros by not declaring the funds that allowed him to purchase the villa. This was through a company in Malta.

The investigation is being handled by the Audiencia Nacional high court in Madrid. It started in 2020, acting on information from Football Leaks and is said to have been tracking movements in accounts dating back to 2013.

The Guardia Civil traced funds from a company in Malta to Mallorca linked to those responsible for Lian Sports, Ramadani’s company and the fifth largest global football agency, according to Forbes. The judicial investigation is still pending some proceedings.

Ramadani and his wife, who is also under investigation, asked last

December that the proceedings be archived.

His defence argued that he did not have tax residence in Spain and did not spend more than half a year in the country.

There was also a call for the case to be moved from the Audiencia Nacional to a court in Palma. This was because the amount of the alleged fraud does not pose a risk to the national economy and that, therefore, the jurisdiction of a central court of investigation is not necessary.

However, the Madrid court is understood to be examining an allegedly complex fraud involving suspicious funds linked to ghost clubs in the Balkans and used to justify signings and other manoeuvres to legalise funds. Furthermore, it suggests that a move to Palma would cause an “undesirable” delay in the judicial procedure.