Charlie Smith
CRISTIANO Ronaldo has been slapped with a 23-month prison sentence and an €18.8m fine for tax evasion.
The Juventus forward, 33, was all smiles as he arrived at court in Madrid on Tuesday with his fiancee Georgina Rodriguez.
Ronaldo, who is a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, is unlikely to serve any prison time, due to the non-violent nature of his offence.
In Spain convicts usually don’t do time for sentences under two years and Ronaldo will likely serve his sentence on probation.
The Portuguese athlete’s crimes relate to a period between 2010 and 2014, when he avoided paying tax while a real Madrid Player.
Forbes lists Ronaldo as the third-richest athlete in the world, and he is thought to be worth $108m.
His ex-Los Blancos teammate Xabi Alonso was also in court in the Spanish capital, where he maintained his innocence over three counts of tax evasion.
Prosecutors had asked for a five-year sentence and €4m fine for the Basque player in relation to alleged tax evasion between 2010 and 2012.
Unlike Ronaldo, Alonso did not accept a deal put forward by prosecutors.
He said: “I have the conviction and confidence of having done everything right, collaborating from the start without hiding anything.
“I’ve come here and I’m going to keep going until the end because I have confidence in justice. I’ve done everything okay.”
The Spaniard’s longer sentence also means that he could face prison time.
