By Angu Lesley
Football writer kick442.com – Cameroon
Former Cameroon captain and football icon Samuel Eto’o has secured a significant legal victory against Spain’s tax authorities after the country’s National Court, the Audiencia Nacional, ruled in his favour in a long-running dispute concerning his image rights earnings from 2005.
The court annulled previous decisions that had ordered the former Barcelona striker to pay approximately €900,000 to Spain’s tax agency, Hacienda. The disputed amount included more than €409,000 in alleged unpaid taxes and interest, along with a substantial 125 percent penalty.
According to the ruling, the tax inspection that led to the claim exceeded the legally permitted time limits. As a result, the court determined that the case relating to Eto’o’s 2005 image rights income had effectively expired and could no longer be pursued by the authorities.
The decision marks the end of another chapter in a legal saga that has followed several high-profile footballers in Spain over image rights and tax-related matters. In Eto’o’s case, the court’s judgment means the former striker will not be required to pay any of the amount previously demanded by Hacienda.
Widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest footballers, Eto’o enjoyed a glittering career with clubs including FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea FC, winning multiple domestic and continental titles. Since retiring, he has remained a prominent figure in football administration and currently serves as president of the Cameroon Football Federation.
The ruling represents a major legal and financial relief for the former Indomitable Lions captain, who can now put the nearly two-decade-old tax dispute behind him after the Spanish court concluded that the claim had been pursued beyond the statutory deadline.
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