Ronaldo accepts €19 mln fine for tax evasion

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Cristiano Ronaldo has pleaded guilty to tax fraud and received a 23-month suspended sentence after a court hearing in Madrid on Tuesday.

The Juventus forward, who was facing charges stemming from his days at Real Madrid, was in court for about 45 minutes and signed an agreement which will cost him nearly 19 million euros (21.6 million U.S. dollars) in fines.

Ronaldo arrived at court in a black van and was wearing a black sports coat and black pants. He passed some 40 to 50 television and still cameras, on his way to enter the courthouse.

Cristiano Ronaldo (C) arrives with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez to attend a court hearing for tax evasion in Spain, January 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

It's not the kind of attention Cristiano Ronaldo is used to, not the fawning fans at the stadium after he kicked goals for Real Madrid, where he played until last summer, or for Italian champion Juventus, where he now plays. Or for his Portugal national squad, which he led to the Euro 2016 title.

But Ronaldo, holding hands with his Spanish girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, put on a smiling face as he entered and left the courthouse, uttering just a few words to many questions from reporters, saying everything's well.

Ronaldo made the deal to plead guilty with Spain's state prosecutor and tax authorities last year. In Spain, a judge can suspend sentences for two years or less for first-time offenders.

In 2017, a state prosecutor accused Ronaldo of four counts of tax fraud from 2011-14 worth 14.7 million euros (16.7 million U.S. dollars). Ronaldo was accused of having used shell companies outside Spain to hide income made from image rights.

Spain's retired midfielder Xabi Alonso (C) arrives to attend a court hearing for tax evasion in Madrid, January 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

Ronaldo wasn't the only player at the courthouse. His former Real Madrid teammate, Xabi Alonso, arrived before Ronaldo and headed for a separate section of the court.

Tax authorities accused Alonso of tax fraud from 2010 to 2012. But his trial was quickly delayed after media reports said his lawyer argued that part of the tax code had changed, which could be beneficial to Alonso. Later, outside the court, Alonso professed innocence and said he had been cooperating with the authorities and had nothing to hide.

A sports announcer on Spain's top-rated radio network, SER, told his midday audience that sports greats like Ronaldo and Alonso, and other stars who've had run-ins with Spanish tax authorities, including Barcelona's Lionel Messi, have let down their fans on the issue of their tax payments.

(With inputs from AP)