Atletico Madrid striker, Diego Costa, is reportedly involved in non-payment of taxes on image rights, a reports says.
Spanish newspaper, El Mundo, reports that the player is the latest star to fall foul of the Spanish authorities over tax fraud.
“The tax administration accuses the Atletico striker of fraud totaling $1.3 million, related to taxes related to his image rights in 2014,” it said.
Football superstars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have already paid substantial fines for the same offence in the country.
Former Catalan forward, Neymar, is said to be under investigation over his taxes during his time at Barcelona.
According to the report, the tax office suspected that Costa, 30,“concealed income” from a sponsorship deal he signed with Adidas before he joined Chelsea from Atletico in 2014.
Costa, who has both Brazilian and Spanish citizenship, rejoined Atletico in 2018.
El Mundo added that Spanish public prosecutors are expected to decide whether they will act on the tax office’s suspicions, and file a lawsuit.
The news is coming one week after Costa was banned for eight matches by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), for insulting and grabbing referee Gil Manzano, during the first half of his side’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona on April 6.
The ban means Costa will not play again this season, as there are only seven matches left in La Liga. The club have also been knocked out of the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
A Spanish court in January gave Ronaldo a suspended two-year prison sentence, for committing tax fraud when he was at Real Madrid.
The Portuguese striker, who joined Juventus last summer, agreed to pay $19 million in fines and pay back the taxes to settle the case.
Messi paid $2.5 million fine in 2016, and received a 21-month jail term. The fine was later reduced to $300, 000.
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