Swiss to Turn Over World Cup Winner Vieira’s Bank Details
(Updates to add meeting of Swiss and French finance ministers in fifth paragraph.)
June 24 (Bloomberg) — French tax authorities are seeking details of a Swiss bank account held by retired Senegalese-born French soccer player Patrick Vieira.
Swiss tax authorities said today they would comply with a request from France to turn over data on Vieira’s account with UBS AG. Vieira, who is also a football pundit for British TV station ITV during the current World Cup games, has 30 days to say whether he is opposed to the transfer.
The Swiss Federal Tax Administration said French authorities requested the information on Dec. 23. Switzerland is assisting France under a longstanding agreement aimed at eliminating double taxation and preventing fraud and tax evasion.
On May 27, Switzerland said it was giving France bank details about former French soccer player Claude Makelele. UBS was also mentioned in that case.
Swiss Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf is set to meet her French counterpart Michel Sapin in the Swiss capital Bern tomorrow to discuss “fiscal and financial policy issues,” according to a statement.
Vieira, 38, was a member of the French team that won the 1998 World Cup. He also played in the 2006 World Cup, when Italy defeated France in the final.
Born in Dakar, Senegal, he rose to prominence during his time at the English club Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, where he eventually became club captain. He retired in 2011 and is now a manager for the reserves squad for the English soccer club Manchester City.
Calls to Manchester City’s media department seeking comment from Vieira weren’t returned. UBS spokesman Yves Kaufmann said the bank could not comment, citing Swiss data protection laws.
To contact the reporter on this story: Carolyn Bandel in Zurich at cbandel@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Frank Connelly at fconnelly@bloomberg.net Cindy Roberts, Steve Bailey
