What’s the story?
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has reconsidered his decision to leave Real Madrid after being publicly backed by club president Florentino Perez, according to Spanish daily AS. The Portuguese sensation was allegedly upset by the tax fraud allegations leveled against him by the Spanish tax authorities and had decided to quit the Santiago Bernabeu outfit, after the club didn’t back him.
However, speaking in a recent interview with Onda Cero, club president Florentino Perez defended the Portuguese and this has pleased the 4-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is now understood to be willing to extend his stay in the Spanish capital.
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Perez said: "This is all very strange. I will defend him as a player and as a human being. I know Cristiano and he is a good guy, both as a professional and a person. What people cannot do is talk about him like he is a delinquent, that bothers me and is hurtful.
"I do not know his tax situation very well. I can only say that we all have to fulfill our obligations when it comes to taxes. But I have no doubts about Cristiano. What I have been told is that he is using the same corporate structure that he used in the UK and there were no problems there. "Cristiano is not angry about who pays the fine. He has always wanted to comply with the rules.”
In case you didn’t know…
Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused of defrauding Spanish tax authorities of €14.7 million between 2011 and 2014 by the use of a ‘ business structure’ aimed towards concealing his earnings from image rights. The Portuguese has maintained his innocence against these allegations and has been backed by Real Madrid.
Also Read: Real Madrid president names superstar who can beat Cristiano Ronaldo to Ballon d'Or
The heart of the matter
It was heavily reported that Ronaldo had made an ‘irreversible decision’ to quit Real Madrid after being treated unfairly in Spain. The 4-time Ballon d’Or winner was linked with a return to Manchester United, while moves to Paris Saint-Germain and other cash-rich clubs were also speculated.
However, the latest reports coming out of Spain and which is spreading like a wildfire is that the Portuguese has changed his mind following the public backing of Perez.
What’s next?
This is not the end of yet another Cristiano Ronaldo transfer/contract saga and we all know how this pans out don’t we? With the Portuguese signing a bumper contract extension with Los Blancos. However, will it play out the same way this time around?
Author's Take
Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer saga is long from over and it will be one of the long-drawn ones, which will probably extend deep into the transfer window. It is almost impossible to fathom Real Madrid letting go of their prized asset and in possibilities, the Portuguese will be staying at the Santiago Bernabeu for the foreseeable future.
