After Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho refuted allegations of tax fraud, Real Madrid's star Croatian midfielder, Luka Modric is the next to be accused of using havens in another country to avoid paying taxes in Spain.
Reports in Spanish newspaper El Mundo have claimed that Modric used a company in Luxembourg to “protect his image rights” and avoid paying hefty sums of tax in Spain. He is listed as the sole shareholder of the company, where his wife Vanja Bosnic is listed as the CEO.
This is very similar to what Cristiano Ronaldo was alleged to have done. Another Spanish newspaper El Confidencial claimed that the Portuguese superstar used a company in Ireland to “protect his image rights.”
El Mundo explained that the corporate tax rate in Luxembourg is a meagre 1% compared to the 30% that it is, in Spain. Spanish tax authorities are reportedly looking into Modric’s income statements for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, in an investigation that commenced in January 2016.
El Mundo also stated that the company in Luxembourg had been established with a capital of €3.6 million and within two years, the company’s assets have risen to €6 million.
This is not the first time the diminutive midfielder has found himself on the wrong side of the law. Last year, he was questioned in Zagreb in an anti-graft investigation concerning his transfer from the Croatian giants to Tottenham Hotspur. It was suspected that Dinamo’s President Zdravko Mamic reportedly earned 52 million kunas (€6.9 million) from the deal that took Modric to the North London club.
Also read: Alexis Sanchez investigated for tax evasion during his time at Barcelona
The Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren was also reportedly questioned in that case.
Modric has been critical to Real Madrid’s success this season. He has become indispensable to Zinedine Zidane and has shown parts of his game that were perceived to be his weaknesses or maybe didn’t even show up in previous seasons.
He was always thought of as a creative midfielder but he has shown much more discipline and his defensive work so far this season has been exemplary. Modric’s tackles and interceptions have been critical for Los Blancos. On an average, the 31-year-old has made 1.8 tackles per game and 1.8 interceptions per game in La Liga this season. In any case, Zidane cannot afford to lose the Croatian for any length of time.
Having said that, it remains to been seen whether Modric is actually found guilty of any wrongdoing. He may have just been opportunistic and made use of loopholes in tax laws in different countries.
More Football news, transfer rumours, analysis and features at Sportskeeda.com. Also if you are attending a football game anywhere in the world and/or have a news tip for us drop us an email at football (at)sportskeeda (dot) com.
