Cristiano Ronaldo Appears Before Judge in Tax Investigation, Dodges Media

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo appeared in Madrid court Monday for a preliminary hearing amid allegations he committed tax fraud.

As reported by Ian Sullivan and Joseph Wilson of the Associated Press (h/t Bloomberg), Ronaldo spent 90 minutes answering questions from investigating judge Monica Gomez. It's added the Portuguese avoided the media by using a side door at Pozuelo de Alarcon Court No. 1.

Per BBC's Richard Conway, there was a massive press presence expecting a few words from Ronaldo:

Ronaldo has been accused of defrauding the tax authorities out of €15 million, per the initial source.

Spokesperson Inaki Torres did address the press and informed them the 32-year-old was "on his way home."

As relayed by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, Ronaldo released a statement after he had made his appearance at the courts:

It was added that based on the statements provided, it's unlikely there will be an attempt made by Ronaldo’s solicitors at coming to an out-of-court settlement:

According to sources cited by Corrigan, the Portugal international said inside the court that "I'm only here today because my name is Cristiano Ronaldo."

Per the initial report, Ronaldo has been accused of four counts of tax fraud by state prosecutors. It’s suggested the Real Madrid man, who has denied the allegations, used a company in the Virgin Islands to "create a screen in order to hide his total income from Spain's Tax Office."

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As relayed by Conway, according to the Gestha union of experts at Spain's Inland Revenue, if Ronaldo is found guilty, he will potentially face a fine of €28 million and three-and-a-half years in prison.

On the field, 2017 has been a memorable year for Ronaldo. He fired Madrid to another UEFA Champions League title—their third in four seasons—as well as the La Liga crown.