According to information from Spain, the most famous Croatian footballer and his wife will stand before a Spanish court in January.
While Luka Modrić has had one of his best years yet on the football pitch, his problems outside are ever-increasing.
The captain of the Croatian national football team has seen the inside of a courtroom often over this year, and most recently as the role of a witness in the case of Zdravko Mamić in the Croatian court. Precisely, in Osijek, Modrić was a witness in the case against Zdravko Mamić who supposedly drew HRK 116 million from football club Dinamo Zagreb. Luka’s testimony stirred up a lot of controversy in the country at that time because, after his initial statement to the investigators charging the accused, Modrić said that he did not remember how much he had earned after signing his first contract or an annex he initially said he had signed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=b5cTBhFUUWY
Unfortunately, 2018 looks like it’ll be off to a rocky start for the Modrić family as Luka and his wife Vanja are expected to start the new year within the walls of a courtroom. Immediately after the holidays in early January, Luka and Vanja will appear before the Spanish court as the Spanish State Attorney’s Office claims the two have deceived the tax administration by EUR 870,728.
The case arrived at the desk of investigating judge Gonzalo Salgado who examined it and approved the continuation of the trial. According to information from Spain, Luka and Vanja will be heard early in January at a court near Madrid, in Alcobendas, reports Vecernji List on December 18, 2017.
The case was awarded to the same judge that determined the fate of Luka’s Real Madrid teammate Marcelo. The Brazilian admitted that he did not pay the tax administration EUR 490,917 in 2013, and the court ordered him to pay that amount, with interest. It has been noted that Marcello did not receive any further punishment even though he still did not pay the money in the end.
As for Modrić’s case, the Spanish State Attorney’s Office is burdened by the fact that, by setting up a company in Luxembourg, Luka avoided paying Spain’s tax on his sponsorship contracts. According to the Spanish claims, Luka Modrić and his Vanja Bosnić founded a company named after their son, Ivano SARL. Through this company, they state, Modrić has signed a contract on the rights to commercially use his persona for brands like Nike or Nivea.
“Although the company is well established, leaving Modric’s rights to her (Vanja) is a simulation. The only goal of transferring the right to this business is to pay her money to avoid paying tax in Spain,” said 24 Sata.
The reason is quite simple – in Spain, Modrić would have to pay 30% of that income, while in Luxembourg he pays only one percent. Because of all this, Luka and his wife will have to give testimony before the court in January.
Excerpts taken from Vecernji List, 24 Sata
