Former PSV Eindhoven coach Guus Hiddink on Tuesday was fined
45,000 euros (about US$59,270) for tax fraud.
A Dutch court also handed Hiddink, now in charge of the Russian
national team, a six-month suspension.
Hiddink was accused of evading almost 1.4 million euros in Dutch
taxes by falsely claiming to be a resident of Belgium in 2002 and
2003.
The court cleared him of tax evasion during 2002, saying the
Dutchman may well have intended to go and live in Belgium, but
found him guilty for the period of 2003, when he had actually lived
with his partner in Amsterdam, and imposed the maximum
fine.?
"The court reached the conclusion that Hiddink deliberately
submitted an incomplete and incorrect tax declaration over 2003,"
it said in a statement.
Earlier this month prosecutors demanded a 10-month prison
sentence for Hiddink.
"Hiddink is glad that the punishment is lower. But nevertheless
his image has been damaged," his lawyer told Dutch news agency
ANP.
From 2000 to 2002 the 60-year-old Dutchman was in charge of
theSouth Korean national side, guiding the World Cup co-hosts to
fourth place at the 2002 finals. He then returned to the
Netherlands and accepted a coaching job with PSV Eindhoven.
After the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany Hiddink then became
coach of Russia's national team.
A spokesman for the Russian football union said they would
consult legal experts on the consequences of the ruling.
"Our main concern is what the suspended sentence means as far as
Dutch law is concerned. Would it prevent Hiddink from doing his
work or prevent him from travelling, that is what we are concerned
about," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2007)