Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has been handed 12-month prison sentence for tax evasion, however, he won't have to spend a day behind bars thanks to a strange Spanish rule.
Macherano was handed two separate sentences, of four months and eight months, however, he has fallen under a bizarre rule that allows him to escape prison time.
In Spain a person given a two year or less prison sentence does not have to go to jail if he or she was convicted of a non-violent crime.
Mascherano has instead had to repay his €1.6 million tax debt for offences dating back to 2011 and 2012 and pay a fine of €816,000 on top of the repaid debts.
