Soccer

Ronaldo reaches €18.8m deal with Spanish tax authorities

Real Madrid star also accepts suspended two-year jail sentence for evasion

Cristiano Ronaldo is reported to have paid an €18.8 million fine and accepted a suspended two-year sentence for tax evasion in Spain. Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

Fri Jun 15 2018 - 17:33

Cristiano Ronaldo has reached a deal with Spanish authorities to settle a tax evasion case by paying an €18.8 million fine and accepting a suspended jail sentence, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Real Madrid's all-time highest scorer, who is due to play in Portugal's opening World Cup match against Spain on Friday, is the latest in a long line of top soccer players to be accused of tax evasion since a crackdown by Spanish courts.

The source confirmed a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo of the deal but said it had yet to be signed by the lawyers.

The 33-year-old is accused of evading €14.7 million in taxes. He has denied the allegations.

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Under the deal, Ronaldo would get a two-year jail sentence, but is unlikely to go to prison as Spanish law states a sentence of under two years for a first offence can be served on probation.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi was handed a 21-month prison sentence in 2017 on similar charges but under Spanish law was able to exchange the penalty for a fine.

Ronaldo clouded fans’ delight in Real’s 3-1 win over Liverpool in the European Champions League final in Kiev in May by hinting he was about to leave the club.

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