Luis Figo denies owing taxes to Spanish authorities

Retired Portuguese footballer Luis Figo insisted on Thursday he owed nothing to Spanish tax authorities a day after the Supreme Court here announced he had lost a 2.45-million-euro appeal.

"There is no conviction, nor any backpayment of tax," Figo said in a statement widely reported by the Portuguese media, adding that he "owes nothing to the Spanish State and that all tax obligations are in order".

Figo, who courted controversy when he moved from Spanish league giants Barcelona to arch rivals Real Madrid in 2000, was ordered by the "Audiencia Nacional", the National High Court, in June 2008 to pay 2.45m euros ($3.2m) in tax.

The backpayment of taxes related to earnings in 1997, 1998 and 1999 from image rights when the now 39-year-old played with the Catalan side, and amounted to 662,300 euros, 960,057 euros and 834,260 euros.

"These sums were repaid in total in 2002," Figo insisted.

"The decision of the Supreme Court was to reject the appeal which has nothing to do with a tax evasion conviction."

Figo, who won the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2000, retired from the game in 2009 having spent his final few seasons with Italian giants Inter Milan.