Brazilian striker and ex-Chelsea star Diego Costa, who now plays for Atletico Madrid, is to pay €1.7m (£1.5m) to Spanish tax authorities to settle allegations of non-payment of taxes on image rights
Spain’s tax agency had claimed that Costa had not declared income earned in 2014 from a sponsorship deal signed with Adidas shortly before he joined Chelsea from Atletico that year.
Costa, who has both Brazilian and Spanish citizenship, returned to Atletico in 2018.
Under a deal with Spain's tax office, Costa will plead guilty to tax evasion and pay €1.1m in back taxes, according to reports in Spanish newspaper El Mundo. The footballer faces a six-month jail term, but will not serve this, paying a €600,000 fine.
A number of other star footballers have fallen foul of Spanish tax authorities, including Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo who faced claims of tax fraud when he was at Real Madrid, and Barcelona's Lionel Messi.
Pat Sweet
