Javier Mascherano admits to tax fraud charges

Javier Mascherano is seen leaving the courthouse in Gava, Barcelona

Argentine International Javier Mascherano has admitted to the tax fraud cases levelled against him to a court in Gava, Barcelona reports BBC Sport. The Barcelona man is believed to have admitted to two counts of fraud which would total to an amount just over 1.5 million euros (£1.1m) to the court in a hearing on Thursday which lasted just under five minutes.

A court filing released last month confirmed the player had repaid 1.75m euros - the full amount plus interest - and he may end up paying a fine and avoiding a trial.

"Mascherano admitted the facts of the two counts of tax fraud, so there was no need to interrogate him," said a judicial source.

The Argentine is the latest of high-profile footballers to have come under the lens of Spanish tax authorities. He is understood to have failed to declare an amount of 1.5 million euros from his earnings during the period of 2011-2012 as suggested by the state prosecutors.

The Superior Court of Justice in Catalonia had earlier this month ordered that the case be heard. The Argentina international faced counts of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of €1.5m related to allegedly undeclared earnings on his image rights in 2011-12 via companies set up in the United States and Portugal.

The former Liverpool star is the news for the wrong reasons a second time this week as earlier he was slapped with a two-match ban for insulting an assistant referee in his side’s 3-1 win over Eibar in La Liga last Sunday.

Mascherano is not the only player from FC Barcelona facing tax fraud charges

Spain's tax law allows a player to sell up to 15 percent of his image rights to a company.

However, the country's tax authorities claimed the 31-year-old did not pay taxes on those earnings despite having already become a Spanish resident.

Mascherano’s teammate and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and his father Jorge Messi has been embroiled in a similar tax fraud scandal. The duo have been accused of not declaring the former’s earnings to the tune of over four million euros which incidently is also payments from Messi’s image rights. Messi and his father, who is also his agent, have denied any wrongdoing.

Another Barcelona player facing similar charges is Brazilian talisman Neymar who has had some of his assets frozen in Brazil because of accusations of tax fraud.