Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo facing tax evasion charges in Spanish court

The 32-year-old has previously denied the allegation, saying his “conscience is clear”.

REAL Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo will appear in a Spanish court today as he stands accused of evading millions in tax.

Prosecutors claim Ronaldo has evaded €14.7m in tax since 2010 by taking ‘advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities’.

BBC Sport is reporting that Ronaldo could face a fine of ‘at least €28m’ and a prison sentence of three-and-a-half years if found guilty, according to experts at Spain’s Inland Revenue.

The 32-year-old has previously denied the allegation, saying his “conscience is clear”.

Ronaldo, who is reportedly the world’s highest paid athlete, is not the only high-profile footballer in the crosshairs of the Spanish tax authorities.

Barcelona ace Lionel Messi was handed a 21-month prison sentence after being found guilty of the same charge last year. However, the Argentine will pay €252,000 in place of jail time following a court ruling earlier this month. Messi was accused of evading €4.1m in tax, €10.6m less than Ronaldo. bbc.com