Cristiano Ronaldo news: Date for Juventus star's sentencing revealed
What's the story?
The date for Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo's two-year jail sentence has been revealed.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo is set to be found guilty of four accounts of tax fraud in relation to his image rights earnings.
The star reportedly defrauded the tax authorities of €1.4 million in 2011, €1.7 million in 2012, €3.2 million in 2013 and €8.5 million in 2014.
The prosecutors claimed that parts of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's salary were found hidden in a company based in the British Virgin Islands.
The former Manchester United forward has since been reported to have paid a fine of €13.4 million to the Spanish treasury.
The heart of the matter
It has now been revealed that the Biaconeri player will be sentenced to jail time on January 21, 2019 at the Madrid Provincial Court. According to The Mirror, Ronaldo's trial has been scheduled to take place at 9.50 am local time.
Despite having paid the fine, Ronaldo is still required to appear before the court, as per Spanish law. However, the former Los Blancos star will not be required to be in physical attendance at the hearing. He may receive the sentence via a video conference.
A report in AS had previously claimed that Ronaldo's lawyer José Antonio Choclán had initially attempted to remove the criminal charges against the football star with an additional fine worth €375,000. The offer was rejected by the Spanish prosecutors, much to the defense's disdain.
To Ronaldo's relief, he will not be required to serve the two-year sentence in person as he is a first-time offender who has committed a non-violent crime. This comes with the condition that the Portuguese does not commit any further crimes in Spain during the given time period. In Spain, laws dictate that sentences of two years and below can be served on probation.
What's next?
As the matter seems to be nearing its end, Ronaldo will shift his focus to Juventus' game against his old rivals AS Roma this weekend.