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Virgin Islands Entities Used By Mourinho Share Address With Firms Banned By EPL

Entities set up in the British Virgin Islands by companies representing ManU Manager José Mourinho and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo "share the same address as two companies which are to be banned in their present form from providing loans to Premier League clubs, documents have revealed," according to Ed Aarons of the London GUARDIAN. Over the weekend, the Portuguese agency Gestifute denied that clients including Mourinho and Ronaldo "are involved in any tax evasion" after a media consortium reported they had used tax havens to handle tens of millions of euros in earnings. According to documents uncovered by Football Leaks, Vanterpool Plaza, Wickhams Cay 1, Road Town is the registered address for law firm Icaza, González-Ruiz & Alemán and "more than 100 entities linked to businesses around the world." They include Koper Services, the company to which Der Spiegel alleged Mourinho "transferred his image rights in 2004" and Tollin Associates, whom it is claimed Ronaldo funneled £63M between '09 and '14. In both cases, it is alleged Gestifute -- the company owned by "super agent" Jorge Mendes -- transferred control over his clients’ image rights to two companies based in Ireland called Multisports & Image Management and Polaris Sports, "thus enabling them to pay tax at just 12.5%." The use of offshore tax havens "is not illegal." Less than a month ago, the Premier League "confirmed it will introduce a ban on clubs borrowing money from unregulated offshore finance firms" from the '18-19 season. The address on the island of Tortola is "also the same as a company which made loans to five Premier League clubs" between '11 and '13. That same address also provided funding for loans to West Ham and Everton last season. Despite lending more than £150M against future broadcast money to Everton, Southampton, Fulham, Southampton and Reading between '11 and '13, Vibrac Corp.'s owners "have never been revealed." There is "no suggestion" that any of the companies linked to Gestifute are connected to Vibrac, Mousehole or BCR Sports, other than sharing the same address (GUARDIAN, 12/7).

REAL DEMANDS RESPECT: ESPN.com's Dermot Corrigan reported Real Madrid called for the "utmost respect" to be shown to Ronaldo amid suggestions from officials in Spain that he "could face jail time for tax fraud." The club said that he is "up to date with all of his tax obligations." Real Madrid issued a statement saying Ronaldo had documents "proving the allegations are unfounded." The statement said, "In view of the stories published over recent days and in consideration of the certificate issued by the Spanish Tax Agency which confirms that our player Cristiano Ronaldo is up to date with all of his tax obligations, Real Madrid C.F. call for the utmost respect to be shown towards Cristiano Ronaldo, whose conduct has been absolutely exemplary throughout all of his time at our club." Widespread reports in Spain on Wednesday said that the Fiscalía Provincial de Madrid prosecution service "has confirmed it is pursuing five players named in the Football Leaks allegations" -- four of whom have played for Real Madrid and four who are represented by Mendes. Ex-Real Madrid players Xabi Alonso, Angel Di María and Ricardo Carvalho are reportedly being charged, while current Monaco striker Radamel Falcao and Real Madrid fullback Fabio Coentrao are being investigated. Official sources "have not yet clarified whether Ronaldo's affairs are currently being looked at" (ESPN.com, 12/7).

SEEKING COMMON GROUND: In Madrid, Alfredo Matilla reported La Liga, the Spanish Basketball League (ACB) and the players' associations for football, handball and basketball, along with other bodies protecting cyclists and athletes in various women's sports, "have informally come together in recent weeks to ask for a meeting with Spain's tax authorities." After more than a year of tensions "due to conflicts related to the interpretation of the tax laws," La Liga President Javier Tebas, ACB President Francisco Roca and "many other" sports execs want to "sit calmly with the government to reach an agreement that benefits both sides" (AS, 12/6).

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