European Parliament: UEFA and FIFA accused of "double talk" on tax evasion

"Despite facing intense and often hostile questioning by MEPs, including an accusation that they were enablers of a corrupt system, officials from football’s top bodies, UEFA and FIFA, sidestepped an invitation to openly criticise footballers, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, during a public hearing of the committee of inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion," the European Parliament said at the end of the hearing on 26/09/2017.

The following were interviewed by the PANA Commission (named after the Panama Papers revelations on 08/06/2016):
• Kimberly Morris, head of transfers and compliance at FIFA TMS.
• Julien Zylberstein, legal advisor to UEFA.
• Gregor Reiter, legal adviser to the European Association of Football Agents (EFAA).

PANA chairman Werner Langen (GER) said their replies were "not completely satisfactory", the European Parliament explained in its report. The president shares the feeling of many MEPs, most notably, Louis Michel (BEL) - who accused the representatives of the international football institution of being "a magnificent…