MADRID – Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo pleaded guilty to tax fraudTuesday and received a 23 months suspended jail sentence in Madrid.
Ronaldo, who was facing charges stemming from his days at Real Madridbetween 2009 and 2018, was in court for about 30 minutes and signed anagreement which will cost him nearly 18.8 million euros in fines.
Spanish prosecutors accused Ronaldo of having used shell companies outsideSpain between 2011 and 2014 to hide income made from image rights.
Ronaldo arrived with his girlfriend Georgina Rodrígez to the ProvincialCourt of Madrid, where a hundred media and some curious citizens werewaiting for them.
When he left the facilities, Ronaldo stopped at the media and said thateverything had gone “perfectly”. “That’s it done,” were Ronaldo’s words tothe media as he left court.
The Spanish society admires Ronaldo for his achievements as a Real Madridplayer, but most of the people longed to solve his problems with Spanishjustice.
“After all, he has evaded taxes. I do not know if it was his fault or hisadvisers’, but obviously he has to be brought before the Justice. If heevaded taxes, he must pay what he has to pay and give back the amount hehas not declared”, citizen Alberto Rodriguez told Xinhua.
The current Juventus forward, who joined the Italian team in a 100 millioneuro deal with Real Madrid last year and earns a salary of around 30million euros a year, was not the only football superstar who is facing theMadrid court today.
His Real Madrid teammate Xabi Alonso, for whom the prosecution asks for 5years in prison for tax fraud, also had to appear in court, but his trialwas suspended.
Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso cases’ are similar to the Luka Modric, Marcelo,Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano cases.
They all have allegedly incurred crimes against the Spanish Public Treasuryand have reached agreements with the Prosecutor’s Office in order to reducepossible penalties. – APP/Xinhua