By Doga Kirmizioglu
ANKARA (AA) - French football club Monaco striker Radamel Falcao on Wednesday got 16 months behind bars and a €9 million ($10.5 million) fine for tax evasion.
Spanish sports daily Marca said that Falcao had been found guilty by a Spanish court of tax evasion from 2011 to 2013, when he played for Atletico Madrid.
Falcao got the sentences for two tax crimes: false income statements and image rights fraud.
Prosecutors claimed Falcao defrauded the state of €822,609 ($966,376) in 2012 and €4,839,253 ($5,685,011) in 2013.
Recent years have seen financial probes and charges against Spanish La Liga stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Marcelo, Neymar, Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Ricardo Carvalho, Daniel Alves, and Samuel Eto'o.