Many of us were shocked when top footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo was embroiled in tax evasion, especially to such a degree.
The highly-regarded player, often hailed by many as the greatest ever, has, allegedly, dodged payments to the Spanish authorities. The sum is thought to be in the region of £13 million (€ 15 million), which has led to worries throughout the Real Madrid fan-base and the rest of the footballing world.
The worries are not unfounded as other La Liga players have been seen in court for similar issues in recent years. Lionel Messi and Neymar, both of Barcelona, have had action taken against them and although prison was a possibility, it did not result in that for them. The amount Ronaldo is thought to have evaded is much more than the Barcelona stars, so the risk of a prison sentence becomes ever-more viable.
Thankfully, there is a glimmer of hope. Luckily for Ronaldo, he earns what has been described by a Real Madrid spokesperson as “a shit-ton” of money. This means that Ronaldo could easily pay this tax bill, probably with the change in his back pocket. However, in a very bold and noble move, the world’s greatest player has bravely promised the Judge he will, “play every game in the upcoming six weeks, to afford to pay off the bill”. The unprecedented move will no doubt tug at the heart-strings of others.
This man is truly one for the ages and this development will be spoken about for generations to come. The Herald rarely gets so soppy, but when you see such inspirational sportsmanship, it is hard not to be moved.
