Dutch manager Guus Hiddink was fined and given a suspended sentence by a Dutch court after being found guilty of tax evasion on Tuesday according to Dutch news agency ANP. Hiddink, who is currently in charge of the Russian national team, was hit with a $59,000 fine as well as a six-month suspended sentence but was also fortunate to escape a 10-month jail term. The former South Korea manager denied the court's charge of defrauding the tax authorities of $1.8m in 2002 after returning from the World Cup finals by claiming that he paid his taxes at that time in neighboring country Belgium. The court cleared him from the responsibility of paying taxes in 2002 and based the punishment on his evasion in the following year.
"The court reached the conclusion that Hiddink deliberately submitted an incomplete and incorrect tax declaration over 2003," it said in a statement. Although the prosecutor objected to the light sentence, the court insisted it was sufficient. "The court considered that there already has been a lot of negative publicity around Hiddink," the statement continued. Hiddink's lawyer agreed with the court's statement, noting that the harm was already done. "Hiddink is glad that the punishment is lower. But nevertheless his image has been damaged," his lawyer said.
