Champions League winner Robert Lewandowski, who was favorite to beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Ballon d’Or this year, has been named in a lawsuit pursuing millions of dollars, according to reports.
The Bayern Munich hotshot’s former advisor, Cezary Kucharski, is said to have filed a case against Lewandowski’s margeting company, RL Management, in a court in Warsaw.
Kucharski has claimed that the forward, known for his clean image, illegally diverted “several million euros” alongside his wife, Anna, to pay for “luxury travel and expensive interior design”, according to documents seen by Spiegel.
His 48-year-old former associate is reportedly demanding around $10.5 million in damages in a suit that also reveals a “seven-digit euro amount” in an account belonging to Lewandowski in Poland that may have evaded tax authorities, the outlet said.
Lewandowski is thought to be worth around $85 million and is one of the most high-profile footballers in the world following a flawless season in which he scored a remarkable 55 goals in 47 appearances.
Those prolific figures ensured that the Poland captain finished as top scorer in the Bundesliga and the Champions League as Bayern won both competitions alongside the German domestic cup.
The 32-year-old is not noted for showing off the spoils of his vast wealth as frequently as Ronaldo, although he is fond of displaying some of his cars, which include a Ferrari and a Porsche, and posing topless on beaches on social media.
Partners in crime ?? ?
His feats in front of goal had seen him widely tipped to win the prize for the world’s best footballer for the first time and become only the second player apart from Messi or Ronaldo to lift the trophy since 2007, only for this year’s award to be canceled because of the pandemic.
Messi had a 21-month prison sentence for tax offences changed to a $288,000 fine in 2017 after being found guilty of defrauding Spain of around $4.8 million between 2007 and 2009 alongside his father.
Two years later, Ronaldo accepted a fine of around $22 million, including a 23-month sentence which is unlikely to see the Portugal captain spend time in jail.
A spokesman for Lewandowski told Spiegel that the lawsuit was “unfounded” and is said to have accused Kucharski of defamation, harassment and blackmail, adding that he “simply not come to terms with the termination of their co-operation”.
