Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a two-year suspended jail sentence and fined €18.8m [£16.4m] after reaching a deal with Spanish authorities over a tax evasion case, according to reports in Spain.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported in Friday that Ronaldo, who is currently with the Portuguese national team at the World Cup in Russia, agreed to pay a large fine regarding four tax offences, as well as a two-year jail sentence.
However, Spanish law states that a sentence of two years and under for a first offence can be served under probation, meaning that the Real Madrid player would not serve any jail time unless he reoffended during that timeframe.
Ronaldo, 33, is accused of evading €14.7m [£12.8], and denied all allegations when he appeared in Spanish court last summer. But as part of the deal, Ronaldo is reported to have pleaded guilty to the offences and agreed to pay back the alleged evaded fee of €5.7m, plus additional fines and interest.
The report claims that the sanction only has to be signed off by the new director of the Spanish Tax Agency, which would result in all criminal and administrative proceedings coming to a close – although the case with the Public Prosecutor’s office would still need to be resolved.
The five-time Balon d’Or winner is expected to be named in Portugal’s starting line-up for their World Cup Group B encounter against rivals Spain on Friday night as the two teams kick of their campaigns in Russia.
