Cristiano Ronaldo responds to tax fraud allegations in Instagram post
The Real Madrid forward has been accused of 'hiding his total income from Spain’s tax office'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested that he will remain tight-lipped over allegations that he defrauded the Spanish tax office of €14.7million (£12.9m).
The Real Madrid forward has been accused by the Spanish capital’s regional state prosecutor of using a shell company in the Virgin Islands to “hide his total income from Spain’s tax office”.
Ronaldo's representatives have denied the allegations and insisted that their client’s taxes are in order, while Real Madrid have also thrown their support behind the superstar forward and backed him to prove his innocence.
Ronaldo himself issued a short message on social media on Thursday, uploading an image of himself holding his finger to his lips with the caption: “Sometimes the best answer it’s to be quiet”.
The four-time Ballon d'Or winner had previously spoken briefly about the accusations when quizzed by reporters following a training session with Portugal on Wednesday, saying he had a “clear conscience”.
Madrid's state prosecutor alleged Ronaldo used an off-shore company to hide a portion of his income from the tax office.
However, a statement from Ronaldo's management company Gestifute insisted the company, Tollin, which was established during Ronaldo's time with Manchester United - from whom he moved to Real Madrid in 2009 - has acted in accordance with British and Spanish tax laws.
Ronaldo is currently on international duty with Portugal preparing for the Confederations Cup in Russia, which begins on Saturday.
Additional reporting by PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments