Thursday, July 8th, 2021
Investigation against Viagogo
Searches at several football clubs
The second ticket dealer Viagogo is repeatedly criticized. There are frequent calls for boycotts, especially in football. Now the public prosecutor is investigating suspected tax evasion. The business premises of several German football clubs are also searched.
The offices of German professional football clubs have been searched because of public prosecution investigations against the secondary ticket dealer Viagogo. FC Bayern, FC Augsburg and 1. FC Nürnberg confirmed searches. The Mannheim public prosecutor’s office is investigating suspected tax evasion, as the authority announced. Against whom, she didn’t say. Clubs or players are not affected.
Viagogo also confirmed the investigation. The second ticket dealer announced that it would cooperate with the authorities. “We are aware of an ongoing investigation into tax payments in Germany,” said a spokesman. Viagogo come “fully” to all tax obligations in the markets in which they operate. “We are cooperating with the relevant authorities and are confident that this matter will be resolved in a timely manner,” said Viagogo.
Club staff apparently only witnesses
Viagogo serves as a platform for ticket sellers – for example at sporting events or concerts. Viagogo charges a fee on the ticket price, which is also charged at the time of purchase. For some football fans, however, the platform is considered controversial, in the past there have been frequent calls for boycotts.
FC Augsburg emphasized that in the investigations by the tax authorities, no current or former employees are part of the proceedings as suspects, but rather appear as witnesses. Nuremberg confirmed the investigations with a practically word-for-word statement. FC Augsburg also announced that it had had a contractual relationship with the company “over seven years ago.” The Nuremberg company also worked with the company “until seven years ago”.
FC Bayern stated: “In the investigations that the Mannheim public prosecutor’s office is carrying out together with the tax investigation department at FC Bayern München AG – apparently as is the case with many other football clubs – neither FC Bayern Munich nor any of its acting or previous acting persons nor a superordinate football organization or a football association is the subject of the investigation. Rather, they can only be considered as witnesses in the course of investigations against a third company. “
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