Football Club Paris Saint-Germain and sport goods manufacturer Nike appeared in court on Monday over allegations of illegally paying their footballers through sponsorship deals. They are also accused of evading French employment taxes to attract players to the French capital's club.
Among the players believed to be involved are Argentinian Gabriel Heinze who was transferred from Valladolid in 2001, Frenchman Nicolas Anelka who arrived from Madrid in 2000 and others such as Ronaldinho. Both the club and Nike have denied the charges.
The damage to the French state is in the order of several million euros, according to those bringing the action.
Judges in charge of the case believe there was a fraudulent system in place within the club but excluded any personal gain.
Both Nike and Paris Saint-Germain face big fines of several million euros if the courts rule against them.
Editor: Su Yu | Source: CCTV.com