Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo could face tax evasion charges in Spain, following Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo is alleged to have defrauded Spanish authorities of 14.7m euros between 2011 and 2014, with Prosecutors alleging that 32-year-old had defrauded the tax authorities of €1.4m in 2011, €1.7m in 2012, €3.2m in 2013 and €8.5m in 2014.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning at the Spanish prosecutor’s office in Madrid, it said Ronaldo had knowingly used a ‘business structure’ created in 2010 to hide his income in Spain from his image rights.
The four time Ballon D’Or winner spent six years at Manchester United earlier in his career and is now one of the most successful and richest athletes on the planet after a record-breaking career at the very top level of European football.
Messi and his father were given 21-month suspended sentences last summer and were ordered to pay a fine of £1.7million after being found guilty of tax evasion.