Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has reached a deal with the Spanish tax authorities to serve two years in prison and pay a €18.8 million ($21.8 million) fine in a tax evasion case, newspaper El Mundo reported on Friday.
Ronaldo is unlikely to serve any time in jail under the deal because Spanish law states that a sentence of under two years for a first offense can be served on probation. Ronaldo was accused by Spanish prosecutors of defrauding tax authorities of €14.7 million (approximately $17 million).
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Ronaldo denied the accusation when the Spanish prosecutor’s office filed its lawsuit against him in June last year. Now, El Mundo’s report states that he has reached a settlement with the authorities. Ronaldo will avoid time in prison.
Ronaldo isn’t the only football superstar to face criminal charges for tax evasion in Spain. FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi was slapped with a 21-month prison sentence in 2017 for similar charges but did not see jail time. Under Spanish law, the Argentine player was able to swap the penalty for a €252,000 fine, which totalled to €400 for each day of the sentence.
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