Diego Costa Facing 6-Month Prison Sentence Over Alleged Tax Infringement

Diego Costa is being investigated by Spanish tax authorities who are asking for a six-month prison sentence and €500k fine for alleged personal income tax infringement back in 2014.

The striker has been accused of defrauding the Spanish state of €1m in relation to his image rights, in which he is believed to have used third party involvement to avoid paying the requisite fees. This relates to the deal Los Rojiblancos secured with Chelsea to sell the striker to the Premier League side.

News of this accusation may sound familiar, as the prosecutor's office accused the Atletico striker of defrauding €1m from the treasury one year ago. The case has been rumbling on in the background since then, but now a sufficient degree of punishment has been concluded.

As revealed by Cadena Ser (via AS), the authorities are seeking that Costa spend half a year in prison as a result, as well as receive a whopping €500k for his actions.

Known for his troublesome behaviour on the pitch, the latest allegations made the 31-year-old's way will do little to help his reputation. He's been implicated in a similar tax incidents as those attributed to fellow Spanish-based players Lionel Messi and (at the time) Cristiano Ronaldo.

While a prison sentence has been asked for, the likelihood is that should Costa be found guilty then he will serve a suspended sentence or an increased fine - as is the usual punishment in such cases.

Costa and Atletico had been preparing for the 2019/20 La Liga season to resume, with it due to return to action on 11 June. Diego Simeone's side have a home match to contend with first, with Real Sociedad heading to the Wanda Metropolitano stadium as Atletico seek to build on their current seventh place standing in the table.

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