Samuel Eto'o Slapped with 22 Months of Suspended Prison Sentence for Committing €3.8m Tax Fraud in Barcelona Days

Samuel Eto'o, who represented the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea during his successful playing career, admitted defrauding the Spanish Public Treasury between 2006 and 2009

Former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o has received a 22-month suspended prison sentence by Spanish authorities after pleading guilty to tax evasion.

The 41-year-old admitted defrauding the Spanish Public Treasury of €3.9million (£3.3m) during his time at Barcelona between 2006 and 2009. Eto'o has partially repaid the fee and been ordered to pay a further €1.8m (£1.6m) in fines after pleading guilty.

As reported by Sport, the retired Cameroon international failed to pay tax on the income he received from the transfer of image rights from Puma to Barcelona. He's accepted his mistake but insists his former agent Jose Maria Mesalles was responsible for the evasion.

The image rights were reportedly taxed through companies in Hungary and Spain to ensure less tax was paid. "I admit the facts and I will pay, but let it be known that I was a child then and that I always did what my father [Mesalles] asked me to do," said Eto'o.

The ex-striker was around 25 years old when the offence was first committed in 2006 after joining Barcelona from Mallorca two years earlier. Neither Eto'o nor Mesalles will serve time in prison as they do not have previous criminal records.

Source: Sport