The Portuguese Football Federation and Fernando Santos issued a joint statement early on Friday morning in which they ensured that the national coach’s tax status had been settled, denied any debts and implied that neither the FPF nor Fernando Santos “withheld or cheated”.

information regarding their contractual relationship with the IRS or any other authority, having always fully and timely declared all payments/income arising from that relationship”, and thus responding to the news from Expresso, which submits that the IRS demands payment from the coach of 4.5 million euro.

As can be seen from the statement, the ongoing process in the arbitration court has been brought in by the national team after settlement of the amounts claimed by the tax authority, and Fernando Santos is now awaiting the outcome of the process.

Read the full statement:

«After the headline for Friday’s edition of Journal Express, May 13, 2022, Portuguese Football Federation and Eng. Fernando Santos is here to connect and clarify the following;

1. Portuguese Football Federation and AD. Fernando Santos cannot help but deplore the gross and clear violation of the right to tax secrecy enjoyed by all taxpayers and which naturally affects them;

2. Without prejudice to the reserves which they lawfully intend to keep, it is necessary to make clear that the estimates promoted by the IRS have been paid in full and promptly, including the relevant compensatory interest, which M. Fernando Santos owes not only one cent to the tax authority, but he has not ceased to regularize his tax status under the provisions of the law;

3. Under no circumstances will the Portuguese Football Federation or the Eng. Fernando Santos has withheld or misrepresented information regarding their contractual relationship with the IRS or other authority, having always fully and punctually declared all payments/income arising from that relationship.

4. Dispute between the IRS and AD. Fernando Santos, translated into settlements already paid in full, to be decided by the arbitral tribunal, in accordance with the provisions of law, awaiting calmly and confidently the course of the arbitration process in question;

5. If the request for arbitration is approved, as it is fully reliable, the right to full payment of the sums paid shall apply. »