Ronaldo’s lawyer “surprised” by tax evasion allegations

Cristiano Ronaldo’s lawyer, Antonio Lobo Xavier, has said he is surprised by accusations that the Real Madrid forward, defrauded Spain’s tax office of €14.7 million in unpaid taxes.

A Spanish state prosecutor accused Ronaldo of “taking advantage of a business structure created in 2010 to hide from fiscal authorities income generated in Spain from image rights.”

However, Xavier insists that the 32-year-old did not break any laws.

“It has come as a complete surprise and the player feels that it is an injustice,” he told Portuguese station SIC Noticias, as reported by Marca.

“There was no lack of a declaration [of income]. There was a declaration according to criteria that apparently isn’t the criteria the Spanish fiscal authorities like, but there is nothing written in law or in any rulebook that says the player broke the rules.”

Ronaldo’s agency, Gestifute, also said in a statement Tuesday that “it is clear that the player did not try to evade taxes.”

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