Diego Costa, ex-Chelsea striker, fined for tax fraud, avoids prison time

Diego Costa, former Chelsea striker, has been sentenced to six months in jail for tax offences but will pay a €543,208 fine to avoid prison time.

According to El Mundo, a Spanish online outlet, the 31-year-old Atlético forward, who appeared in a Madrid court on Thursday, pleaded guilty to defrauding the state of more than €1m by not declaring payments of over €5.15m from his 2014 move to Chelsea from his current club.

Costa played for Chelsea between 2014 to 2017 before joining the Diego Simeone side. He was also said to have concealed image rights payments of about €1m.

But in compliance with the Spanish law, he has agreed to pay a fine of €507,208 as punishment for defrauding the state as well as an additional €36,500 to avoid jail time.

“Diego Costa reached an agreement a few months ago with the prosecutor and has already paid the corresponding fine plus interest and the request for a prison sentence was withdrawn,” a spokesperson for Atletico had told Reuters before his court visit.

“This week it is expected that agreement will be ratified in court, as is mandatory.”

Costa is not the first high profile footballer to have been charged with tax fraud in Spain.

Lionel Messi, Barcelona forward, was given a 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud which was later exchanged for a heavy fine.