Prison sentence for Boris Becker: no longer a little boy


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Status: 29.04.2022 21:06

Boris Becker built his defense on pity, presented himself as a financially naïve but basically decent boy. But the court did not let him fool him.

A commentary by Holger Ohmstedt, NDR

Boris Becker lost his toughest match today. Not in center court, but in court. Not only does he lose what little that was left of his legendary reputation, he also loses his freedom.

The defense strategy of the former world tennis star did not work. He built on compassion, presented himself as a financially naïve but fundamentally decent boy. But the court would not let him fool him. The judge didn’t believe that his intelligence was just about baseline.

As purposefully as Becker has been leading the UK bankruptcy board by the nose for the past five years, he couldn’t be as stupid as he wanted the jury to believe.

A warning to other top athletes

Although officially bankrupt and penniless, Becker lived a lavish life in London up to this evening and did not hide his swanky lifestyle from the public. Boris Becker couldn’t get away with not wanting to take responsibility for his life even at the age of 54.

No one stays the little boy who just wants to play forever. The conviction is a warning to other top athletes who believe that they can get away with tax evasion or bribery deals, for example for a World Cup award.

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