Barcelona versatile defender Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to one-year in prison over a £1.1m tax fraud.
The Argentina international is unlikely to serve any jail time, however, with any sentence set to be suspended in exchange for a large fine.
Mascherano, 31, previously admitted two counts of fraud after failing to declare earnings in 2011 and 2012, but he repaid the full amount plus interest last year.
Barcelona teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi are also under investigation by the taxman, with Messi’s case due to be heard in court over the summer.
Since the start of the 2014/15 campaign in La Liga, Barcelona’s win percentage has dropped from 88.5% with Mascherano in the team from the start, to just 58.3% without him in the starting XI.
For more stats on Javier Mascherano, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
