Mascherano was also fined almost €800,000 and prevented from receiving any tax benefits for a year.
To summarise, Javier Mascherano was sentenced to a year in prison a month ago, has not yet served any time in a jail or a prison, and that is very unlikely to change after his lawyers finish up in that Spanish courtroom today.
The Argentine, who has been with the Catalan club and current European champions since 2010, has also been fined 815,000 euros for two tax offences.
The Argentina worldwide was handed a custodial sentence at a court appearance on Thursday, at which he was pleading to avoid any jail time.
Mascherano and Spanish tax authorities reached plea bargain Thursday, in which the Barcelona star is likely to avoid going to prison following his conviction on tax fraud charges, according to The Associated Press.
"Therefore I must rely on the people that manage these technical, and for me, complicated, issues".
Mascherano is just the latest high-profile footballer to be scrutinised by the tax authorities in Spain over the declaration of money made through image rights.
After agreeing my move to Barcelona I contracted a specialist tax agency with well-known professionals that enjoy a great reputation. Having in consideration my situation, they recommended to me certain financial structures, all of which they informed me were common practise, totally transparent and accepted by the law.
Mascherano said he may take legal action against the tax consultants that he originally hired who, he said, "recommended what was not correct".
"My new advisors recommended I pay the taxes demanded by the Treasury, presenting what they called "corrections".
"I'm a professional athlete", he wrote.
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