Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has been sentenced to a year in prison for tax fraud.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported the former Liverpool midfielder was sentenced after a court hearing on Thursday. He has also been fined €815,000 (£625,000) for two tax offences.
It is unlikely the Argentina international will serve any jail time. Spanish publication Sport claim that the prosecution are in favour of Mascherano being handed a fine instead after the defender’s lawyer requested the prison sentence be suspended.
Spanish law dictates that those handed sentences of less than two years are not required to serve their sentence, unless the crime is a violent one.
Mascherano's fine will be around €21,000.
The sentence comes after it was revealed the 31-year-old failed to declare earnings of €1.5m in 2011 and 2012. Mascherano admitted to being guilty of tax fraud last October.