Madrid, Jun 21 (AP) Former Cameroon forward Samuel Eto'o has been given a suspended prison sentence in Spain for tax fraud during the time he played for Barcelona, a Spanish court said on Tuesday.

In an agreement with tax authorities, Eto'o received a 22-month prison sentence and will repay nearly 4 million euros ($4.2 million) in taxes owed. He avoided serving time because in Spain sentences shorter than two years can be suspended for first-time offenders.

Also Read | India vs England Rescheduled Test: Rahul Dravid Joins Team, Ravi Ashwin Set to Reach Soon.

Eto'o, who was also fined, accepted the conviction but blamed his representative, José Maria Mesalles, for what happened. Mesalles was handed a one-year prison sentence.

The 41-year-old Eto'o played for Barcelona from 2004-09, helping it win two Champions League titles and three Spanish league trophies.

Also Read | Wimbledon 2022: Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek Named Top Seeds for Men’s and Women’s Singles.

He retired as a player a few years ago and is currently the president of the Cameroonian football federation. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)