Cristiano Ronaldo has received a two-year prison sentence and a fine of nearly €19 million (£17m) after pleading guilty to tax evasion in Spain. The 33-year-old was charged with four counts of tax fraud committed between 2011 and 2014 which amounted to €14.7m (£13m). Ronaldo will not serve any time in prison as he has pleaded guilty to the charges but will pay back the full amount of tax, plus interest, to the Spanish treasury. The Spanish tax agency has now given their approval to the agreement reached between Ronaldo, the prosecutor’s office and the state attorney. Last year, Ronaldo denied any wrongdoing following an investigation by the Spanish authorities.
‘I have never hidden anything, and never tried to avoid taxes,’ he told Spanish judge Monica Gomez during a closed-door hearing last July. Ronaldo is currently on holiday following Portugal’s World Cup campaign but interrupted his break to complete his £99.2m move to Juventus earlier this month.