The 31 year-old appeared in court on Thursday and accepted the one-year sentence as well as a fine of $972,000 euros, although it is expected he will not serve any prison time with his legal representatives having requested the sentence be suspended and replaced with a fine.
Mascherano, who joined Barcelona from Liverpool in 2010, admitted fraud last year and according to a court filing has repaid $2.72 million, the full amount he owed plus interest.
Following Thursday's ruling, the Argentina international released a statement via his Twitter account and the Barcelona website in which he said: "I'm a sporting professional, I don't have a great understanding of tax and legal matters.
"Therefore, to deal with what are for me technical and complicated matters, I have to rely on other people.
"Throughout all my career I have been an honest person, responsible and respectful of my team-mates and the clubs that I have played for and the countries I have lived in.
'''I reserve the possibility of action against those who have badly advised me by recommending something that was not right."
Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service. Read more about Sport
Have a story or comment? Contact Us

