MUNICH (Reuters) - A German court convicted Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness of tax evasion on Thursday and sentenced him to 31/2 years in jail.

Prosecutors had argued that Hoeness' voluntary disclosure - that he had failed to pay taxes - was incomplete and thus did not meet a vital requirement needed for amnesty under German tax laws designed to encourage tax evaders to come clean.

Hoeness has admitted he evaded 27.2 million euros (S$47.9 million) in taxes on income earned in secret Swiss bank accounts but the 62-year-old was hoping for leniency in one of the most closely watched tax evasion cases in German history.

The case hinged on the question whether Hoeness, who as a player helped West Germany win the 1974 World Cup, fully cooperated with his voluntary disclosure. It shocked the nation and prompted thousands of tax dodgers to turn themselves in.