Madrid: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted a two-year prison sentence and a fine of 18.8 million euro fine from the Spanish authorities in a tax fraud case after reaching an agreement with the with tax officials in Spain.
However, the mercurial Portuguese is unlikely to serve time in prison according to reports in El Mundo. The Spanish law states that a sentence under two years can be avoided if this is the first time an offence has been committed and he can serve it on probation. The 33-year-old Portuguese footballer, who is accused of evading 14.7 million euros in taxes, has denied all the allegations through his agents.
Gestifute, the agency representing the player, was not immediately available to comment on the report on Friday. The Spanish tax agency also declined to comment.
Spanish courts have recently cracked down on tax evasion among leading footballers. 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.
