Cristiano Ronaldo has defended himself, saying his “conscience is clear”.
Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear in court on Monday as he is accused of evading millions of euros in taxes by the Spanish government. The Los Blancos player was named in the tax evasion case after rival Lionel Messi was found guilty by the Spanish court of the same offence last year.
The 32-year old Ronaldo joins a number of key players featuring in the La Liga who have also been accused of tax evasion. The Portugal captain will be questioned by a court in Pozuelo de Alarcon, a wealthy suburb of Madrid where he lives, after returning from a summer break that he took at the end of the Confederations Cup 2017.
Ronaldo, who according to Forbes magazine is the highest paid athlete in the world, has been accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax. The allegations also state that he took advantage of a business structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in the country.
The former Manchester United player has, however, denied all allegations and said that his ‘conscience is clear.’ He even threatened to leave the club after the news broke about his tax evasion. He had since expressed his desire to join his former club at the Old Trafford.
The four-time world player of the year did not play a single game for his club Real Madrid in the ongoing pre-season tour in America. In his absence, his team lost 3-2 against rivals Barcelona in a thrilling El Clasico on Sunday.
