Romanian Tax authorities determine to confiscate clubs properties

Adjust font size:

The country's tax authority is determined to confiscate properties of clubs owing more than EU 40m after the deadline for the voluntary payment of tax arrears expired. According to Sebastian Bodu, the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (NAFC) president, there are goods to be embargoed and the tax authority will collect all debts "to the last lei." Romanian clubs avoided of paying taxes to the State for the past 15 years, taking advantage of the passive tolerance of the authorities. The clubs processed fictitious accounts in order to avoid payments and players who earn thousands of euros have gone down in the books as being paid the minimum salary of EU 150 a month.

Bodu believes the crackdown is overdue but there has been inevitable opposition to the move. Dinamo and Rapid Bucharest have paid a share of their obligations but Steaua chairman Gigi Becali, who commands a personal fortune of EU 500m, refuses to accept that his club has incurred debts EU 11m and is countersuing the tax authorities.