Former Man Utd star Di Maria given suspended prison sentence

Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria has been sentenced to one year in prison after admitting to tax fraud.

But the Argentinian player, who has been accused of two offences dating back to his time at Real Madrid, looks highly unlikely to face any time behind bars. Sentences of under two years are suspended in Spain providing the convicted has no criminal record.

El Confidencial reports that Di Maria is said to have defrauded the Spanish government out of £1.14million during his four-year spell at the Bernabeu.

He has reportedly admitted to both counts of fraud and will pay a fine of £1.76million – ensuring he avoids a trial at the Spanish Supreme Court.

Di Maria left Real Madrid to join Manchester United in a then-British record £59.7million in the summer of 2014, but struggled to make a significant impact in the Premier League and left the club just 32 appearances, and one year, later.

News of Di Maria’s sentence comes just a day after Jose Mourinho was also accused of tax fraud by Spanish prosecutors, though the Manchester United boss quickly released a statement to say he was in compliance with all his tax obligations”.

Cristiano Ronaldo has also been accused in the last week, while Lionel Messi was convicted a year ago and handed a 21-month sentence.