Accusations of Cristiano Ronaldo failing to pay $16.5 million in taxes have reportedly led to the Portuguese star telling Real Madrid club president Florentino Perez that he is prepared to leave the club.
As reported by Spanish daily MARCA and British newspaper The Independent, Ronaldo’s decision has been described as “irreversible” — the 2016 Ballon d’Or winner is incensed by the lawsuit brought forward by Spanish prosecutors while the Real Madrid club hierarchy is reportedly scrambling to placate their prized asset.
Ronaldo signed a contract extension as recently as November, keeping him at the club through June 2021 with a salary of more than $50 million a year. While Ronaldo generates a staggering amount of income for his club off the pitch, the 32-year-old outlined his importance on it with 42 goals in all competitions this season, including vital strikes to secure Real’s 33rd La Liga title and 12th Champions League crown.
Ronaldo has frequently verbally committed himself to Real, and he’s made no secret of his love for living in the Spanish capital. However, that hasn’t stopped the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United from continually trying to lure him from the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo is currently on national team duty with Portugal at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, and it’s unlikely that we’ll hear anything from the Portuguese captain until after the tournament’s completion.
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