Cristiano Ronaldo news: Portugal considers revoking Juventus star's honors following a tax fraud fine
What's the story?
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo could be stripped of his public honors in his home country of Portugal after he was sentenced and fined for committing tax fraud during his stint in Spain with Real Madrid.
In case you didn't know...
The former Los Blancos star was named Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry in January 2014 and was later awarded with the Grand Cross of the Portuguese Order of Merit after leading Portugal to the Euro title in 2016.
Earlier this week, Ronaldo accepted a two-year prison sentence and an €18.8 million fine for four counts of tax fraud when he appeared before a Madrid court. The 33-year-old was accused of hiding parts of his income between 2011 and 2014 in a shell company located in the British Virgin Islands.
Spanish prosecutors accused the Portuguese of cheating 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 five-time Ballon d'Or winner will, however, not be required to serve the sentence as first-time non-violent offenders are usually given suspended sentences under Spanish law.
The heart of the matter
Portugal president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has now confirmed that Ronaldo could lose all these honors after he was sentenced in Spain earlier this week.
Speaking to AFP (via Football Espana), De Sousa said, "The law is very simple: it is up to the chancellors of the national orders to see if anything has happened that could lead to the loss of honor."
"We should let those with the legal power to decide to do so and see whether the law applies or not in this case."
Madeira leader Miguel Albuquerque, however, believes that the sentence does not make Ronaldo a bad person: "Here in Madeira, Cristiano Ronaldo has always been seen as a good person... He is not a criminal. [His tax-fraud charge was an] interpretation of a tax issue."
"He is the most prestigious Portuguese in the world."
What's next?
It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo, who is also in the midst of an investigation into rape allegations against him, will be stripped of his national honors.