Barely a week into his new job as England coach, Fabio Capello has been accused of tax evasion in his native Italy. According to the Guardian, Capello alerted the English Football Association to the possibility of such an investigation while he was being interviewed for the job. However, the Italian guaranteed that neither he nor the FA had anything to fear from the inquiry.
FA officials say they are relaxed and confident about the matter as Capello assured them that tax authorities are singling him out because of his status as a high-profile figure. Other Italian celebrities who have been previously targeted include champion motorcyclist Valentino Rossi and actress Sophia Loren.
According to the report, Capello paid a fine to avoid being prosecuted over allegations that an acquaintance had falsified documents on his behalf in order to gain a tax advantage. However, the Italian investigation has to do with money (about $15 million) that Capello earned from his contract with the glasses manufacturer Zerorh+. That money is held in a trust which authorities want to know if he derived any benefit from, thus avoiding tax.