Spanish football "is under the microscope of the Spanish tax authorities," according to Jesús Sérvulo González of EL PAIS. The tax authority has "launched an offensive against footballers' financial practices that are considered abusive." Half a dozen lawyers "said that in recent months, inspections of footballers have increased." Those lawyers said that tax authority Hacienda has "changed its interpretation of two practices." One has to do with the agencies that manage players' image rights. The other is "related to commission payments to agents in cases of transfers and contract renewals." One lawyer from a "recognized firm" said, "Right now there are four Barcelona players being investigated in this case. There are more cases with Real Madrid that have not been leaked because they have not been resolved." A "high-ranking Hacienda official" who wanted to remain anonymous said, "There is a war between the Agency and Spanish football, which has been
aggravated by the conflict between Spanish Football League (LFP) President Javier Tebas and Spanish Revenue Department Dir Soledad García." Another attorney who advises footballers said, "In recent months the examinations of elite and non-elite footballers have intensified" (
EL PAIS, 11/16).
