Alexis Sanchez admits to tax fraud totaling almost one million euros

Alexis Sanchez admits to tax fraud totaling almost one million euros

It's unlikely the Arsenal player will now face a trial but he will have to pay an additional fine

Former Barcelona player Alexis Sanchez declared in a court in the Catalan city on Monday via a video link, where he admitted to tax fraud of nearly one million euros while in Spain during 2012 and 2013. 

According to Europa Press, in his declaration from London which lasted a couple of minutes, the Arsenal forward recognised two crimes against the Treasury to a total value of 983,443 euros.

The same report adds that the Chilean international has already returned that money and it is likely, therefore, than an agreement will be reached for Alexis to avoid having to go to trial. 

In that scenario, the player's defence team and the Treasury must come to an agreement regarding what size fine should be dished out for the delay in paying the taxes and possibly on the length of a prison sentence, which in any case would be short and therefore suspended. 

In the complaint that initiated the judicial process against Alexis which was filed by the Tax Agency, prosecutor Miguel Angel Perez de Gregorio argued that the 28-year-old evaded payment of tax from his image rights via a company based in Malta.