By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – The tax evasion trial of Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness gets under way today, the culmination of a scandal that has rocked German football though it has done little to affect the blistering form of the club itself on the field.
Hoeness, a Bayern legend who has been associated with the club since 1970 as player, manager and president, was arrested by police last spring during a search of his home and was released on bail of €5 million. He had failed to declare a Swiss bank account to the German tax authorities though he since reported to have paid back at least €3.2 million in voluntarily.
The trial is expected to take about four days and the 1974 World Cup winner could face lengthy jail term if found guilty.
Bayern have stood steadfastly by Hoeness under whose leadership the club won the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the German Cup in 2013, refusing to accept his offer to suspend himself from club duties last May.
When Hoeness tendered his resignation at the club’s annual meeting, fans chanted his name until he wept.
But now there is a real possibility Hoeness may have to run the team from a prison cell. By choosing to come clean, he has opted for what German law calls “voluntary disclosure” under which alleged evaders can avoid trial by re-declaring the taxes they skipped and paying them back with interest. However, last November a court summons arrived after all.
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