Granada CF, former club owner Gino Pozzo and former president Quique Pina are on trial at Spain’s National Court over alleged tax fraud tied to player transfers between 2013 and 2015. The trial, which stems from the Operation Líbero investigation, began on 10 November.
Prosecutors allege that a cross-border financing setup shifted most of the profits from several player sales out of Spain, leaving roughly €9.44 million in unpaid corporate tax across the 2013, 2014 and 2015 financial years.
Alongside Pozzo and Pina, prosecutors have charged businessman Raffaele de la Riva and former Granada board member Jordi Trilles, while Granada CF is being prosecuted as a legal entity. All four individual defendants and the club’s representative denied the charges during the opening hearing.
The alleged financing setup and scouting payments
The prosecution’s argument focuses on Fifteen Securitisation, a company based in Luxembourg and linked to De la Riva. According to the indictment, the firm funded Granada through Spanish commercial arrangements known as contratos de cuentas en participación. Prosecutors claim the company helped Granada pay for player signings in exchange for 95% of future transfer proceeds. According to the prosecution, this structure moved transfer profits outside Spain and lowered the club’s domestic tax bill.
During the hearing, police investigators testified that Fifteen Securitisation and associated funds took around 90 to 95% of the gains from the transfers under review, leaving Granada to retain about 5 to 10%. This figure represents the investigators’ testimony to the court rather than an established judicial finding.
Investigators also raised questions about payments made to scouting companies connected to Pina, noting that Granada already had its own internal sporting department. A representative from LaLiga told the court that the paperwork backing those scouting payments was limited and did not justify the amounts paid.
Former Granada financial director Mireya Zorrilla also gave evidence, stating that Pozzo owned the club during that period and that both Pozzo and Pina gave her instructions.
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The seven transfer deals under scrutiny
The indictment covers seven separate transfer operations involving six players. Because Guilherme Siqueira’s loan move to Benfica and his subsequent permanent transfer to Atlético Madrid are counted separately, his moves account for two of the seven deals.
The reported transaction values include €1 million for Siqueira’s loan to Benfica, €9 million for his move to Atlético, €1.5 million for Daniel Pudil’s transfer to Watford, €14.15 million for Allan Marques’s move to Napoli, €8 million for Jeison Murillo’s switch to Inter and €2.45 million for Mikel Rico’s move to Athletic Club.
Yacine Brahimi’s transfer to Porto is also part of the case. Prosecutors reportedly valued the Brahimi deal at €9 million, whereas €6.5 million was said to have been declared. These figures represent the reported overall transfer values rather than the sums kept by Granada or the taxable profits, as reported by AS.
Requested penalties and ongoing court proceedings
Prosecutors are asking the court to sentence Pozzo, Pina, De la Riva and Trilles to 12 years in prison each. They are also seeking individual fines of €36.5 million for Pozzo and €27.5 million each for Pina, De la Riva and Trilles. For Granada CF as a legal entity, the prosecution is requesting a separate €26.9 million fine. In addition to the fines, prosecutors want the four men and the club to pay back the alleged €9.44 million in unpaid corporate tax plus interest. Ahora Granada has detailed the requested penalties, which remain prosecution requests rather than court-imposed sentences.
The proceedings relate strictly to Granada’s former ownership and management. All defendants are presumed innocent, and the allegations against the club and the four individuals remain unproven. Granada Hoy’s report from the opening day covered both the investigators’ testimony and the defendants’ denials as the court prepares to determine whether the financing and transfer deals were legitimate commercial arrangements or a mechanism to avoid tax.
The second day of hearings was scheduled for 11 November, with former Granada economic vice-president Juan Dólera, Fifteen Securitisation figure Damiano Jarmorini and tax officials expected to give evidence, though a general strike could affect the court timetable.
