Ronaldo avoids jail but hit by hefty fine for tax fraud in Spain

Yahoo – AFP, Diego URDANETA, Jan 22, 2019

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the court in Madrid with girlfriend Georgina
Rodriguez (AFP Photo/PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU)

Madrid (AFP) - Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo avoided jail on Tuesday but was ordered by a Spanish court to pay 3.57 million euros ($4.1 million) for committing tax fraud when at Real Madrid, part of a broader 18.8-million-euro payout.

Sporting sunglasses and a smile, accompanied by his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo arrived at the court in northeastern Madrid for a brief hearing.

He was handed a two-year jail sentence immediately reduced to a fine of 365,000 euros and another penalty of 3.2 million euros, according to the sentence.

Accused of having avoided paying 5.7 million euros in taxes due on his image rights between 2011 and 2014, Ronaldo has already paid the taxman 6.7 million euros for what he owed plus interest, the sentence read.

That -- plus the court fine -- comes to more than 10 million euros.

In June, the player's lawyers and Spain's taxman came to an agreement that Ronaldo would pay a grand total of 18.8 million euros.

Ronaldo grinned and signed autographs outside the court (AFP Photo/

OSCAR DEL POZO)

That amount was not mentioned in the sentence but a source at the court, who refused to be named, said Ronaldo would have to pay 18.8 million euros in total, giving no further details.

Contacted by AFP, tax authorities, prosecutors and lawyers representing Ronaldo refused to provide any information.

It is unclear whether the remaining amount is a separate administrative fine.

'Very well'

"I am very well," the five-time Ballon d'Or winner told the crowd of reporters gathered outside of the court as he left the hearing. He signed a few autographs before leaving in a black van.

The court refused the player's request to appear by video or to enter the building by car to avoid the spotlight.

Ronaldo, who last year joined Italian champions Juventus, smiled broadly as he arrived at the court dressed in black trousers, a black turtleneck and dark sunglasses, holding hands with Rodriguez.

Ronaldo's tax troubles come from his time at Real Madrid, where he won two 

league titles and four Champions Leagues (AFP Photo/GABRIEL BOUYS)

Police officers escorted him.

He had played for Juventus on Monday night, missing a penalty as the Italian league leaders eased past bottom club Chievo 3-0.

Offshore companies

Madrid prosecutors opened an investigation into Ronaldo in June 2017 and he was questioned in July that same year.

"I have never hidden anything, nor have I had the intention of evading taxes," he told the court then, according to a statement from the sports agency which represents him, Gestifute.

Prosecutors accused Ronaldo of having used companies in low-tax foreign jurisdictions -- notably the British Virgin Islands and Ireland -- to avoid paying the tax due in Spain on payments for his image rights between 2011 and 2014.

Ronaldo's former Real Madrid teammate Xabi Alonso 

was also in court in Madrid on tax evasion charges

(AFP Photo/PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU)

His lawyers argued there had been a difference in interpretation of what was and was not taxable in Spain, and deny any deliberate attempt to evade tax.

But under the deal between Spain's tax authorities and his lawyers, Ronaldo pleaded guilty to four counts of tax fraud.

Ronaldo is one of several footballers to have fallen foul of Spain's tax authorities in recent years.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, once Ronaldo's big La Liga rival, paid a two-million-euro fine in 2016 in his own tax wrangle and received a 21-month jail term.

The prison sentence was later reduced to a further fine of 252,000 euros, equivalent to 400 euros per day of the original term.

Alonso faces trial

Ronaldo's former Real Madrid team-mate Xabi Alonso appeared at the same Madrid court on Tuesday, for the first time, on a separate tax evasion charge.

Public prosecutors are seeking a five-year jail sentence and a fine of four million euros.

The trial was suspended while the court considers whether it has jurisdiction to hear the case.

Ronaldo and Rodriguez left court after the star was sentenced. (AFP Photo/

OSCAR DEL POZO)

"I never hid anything, I have to defend myself," Alonso, 37, told reporters as he left the court.

Ronaldo is also facing accusations in the United States where a former American model accused him of raping her in Las Vegas in 2009.

Police in the US city recently asked Italian authorities for a DNA sample from the footballer.

Ronaldo has always denied the accusations.

In a New Year's Eve interview with Portuguese sports daily Record, he said he had a "calm conscience" and was "confident that everything will very soon be clarified".

Related Article:

Cristiano Ronaldo denies tax fraud at court hearing

'I select on penis length,' says female coach of German men's team

Yahoo – AFP, 17 January 2019

When asked whether she sounds an alarm on entering the locker room to ensure her male players cover up, BV Cloppenburg female coach Imke Wuebbenhorst replied that she's a "professional" and bases her selections on "penis length" (AFP Photo/Odd ANDERSEN)

Berlin (AFP) - The first woman to coach a men's team in one of Germany's top five leagues is tackling sexism by sarcastically suggesting her selections are based on penis lengths.

Former Germany women's Under-20 midfielder Imke Wuebbenhorst was last month appointed head coach of the men's team at BV Cloppenburg, who currently sit bottom of the Lower Saxony Oberliga in the fifth tier of German football.

When German newspaper Welt jokingly asked whether she sounds an alarm on entering the dressing room, to ensure her players cover themselves up, the tough-talking blonde gave a cutting answer.

"Of course not, I am a professional -- I base my selections on penis lengths," the 30-year-old replied sarcastically.

Having hung up her boots in 2016 after a career which saw Wuebbenhorst twice win the European title with Germany's Under-19 team and played in the women's Bundesliga for Hamburg, she ended up coaching the women's side in Cloppenburg after playing for the team.

She refuses to see herself as a pioneer for other women.

"The topic bounces off me. I want to be judged on performances, not on whether I'm a woman or a man," she told Cloppenburg's website.

"I don't have a problem commanding authority -- I'm a teacher."

The presence of a female head coach in Germany's lower leagues has attracted plenty of media attention, but Wuebbenhorst is focused solely on the task in hand.

"We only have 12 games left to stay in the league. It's going to be a tough job," she said.

"Several of my peers have described my new task as a suicide mission, and asked me why I do such a thing, but other clubs are not exactly lining up for me.

"The only fear I have is that a relegation would be blamed on the fact that I am a woman."

Ballon D'Or host apologises as 'twerk' request causes storm

Yahoo – AFP, 4 December 2018

Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg (R) stands alongside French DJ and
producer Martin Solveig (L) after receiving the 2018 women's Ballon d'Or award

French DJ Martin Solveig apologised and said he was taken aback by the stormy reaction online after he asked the inaugural women's Ballon D'Or winner Ada Hegerberg whether she could "twerk" live on stage.

The awards co-host in Paris provoked a torrent of complaints about sexism with his question about the sexually suggestive dance, which received a blunt "No" from the unamused Norwegian striker.

The incident was a major talking point despite Hegerberg's achievement in becoming the first winner of the women's Ballon D'Or, an award which has been handed to male footballers since 1956.

Solveig, a musician and radio host, apologised in person to Hegerberg and said he was "astonished" at the reaction.

"Guys I'm a little bit amazed, astonished by what I'm reading on the internet," he said in a video posted on Twitter.

"Of course I didn't want to offend anyone... This was a joke, probably a bad one and I want to apologise for the one I may have offended."

As footage of the incident went viral, British tennis player Andy Murray led the backlash when he thundered: "Why do women still have to put up with that shit?"

"What questions did they ask (Kylian) Mbappe and (Luka) Modric?" he posted on Instagram, referring to the winners of the best young player and the men's Ballon D'Or.

"I'd imagine something to do with football.

"And to everyone who thinks people are overreacting and it was just a joke... it wasn't. I've been involved in sport my whole life and the level of sexism is unreal."

Hegerberg, 23, whose goals propelled Lyon to a record fifth Champions League title and their 12th consecutive domestic crown, played down the controversy and said it hadn't marred her evening.

"I didn't feel it was like that at all to be honest and I am sad if people thought about the situation like that," Hegerberg said after the show.

She added: "He came to see me after and apologised. The Ballon d'Or is the most important thing."

Before the ceremony, Hegerberg told The Guardian that she found it "really frustrating" that sport remains "such a man's world".

"Sometimes it's really frustrating, I must say. Sometimes you have episodes or situations where you feel like, damn, we're in such a man's world," she said in an interview.

"But at the same time I've never looked at myself different from men's football. I've always felt the same -- I work hard to try to achieve my dreams, like every other girl out there."

Factfile on #AdaHegerberg, the winner of the first women's #BallonDor https://t.co/v3H3tqeMU4 pic.twitter.com/9jKgwgDDEO

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 4, 2018

Referee, executive charged in Belgium football scandal

Yahoo – AFP, Oct 11, 2018

Club Brugge head coach Ivan Leko, who was accompanied by his lawyer, was
released from the Palace of Justice in Tongeren after questioning (AFP Photo/
NICOLAS MAETERLINCK)

Brussels (AFP) - A top football referee and a Belgian club executive were among the first suspects charged on Thursday in a massive fraud and match-fixing scandal that has engulfed Belgium's elite league, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said more than 20 suspects were being investigated a day after hundreds of police carried out 44 house searches across Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia.

The judge in charge of the case has also issued European arrest warrants to seek the extradition of suspects detained abroad, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor's office told reporters in Brussels.

The enquiry is focused on some of Belgium's best known football agents, including Mogi Bayat, the former manager of Sporting Charleroi, who was arrested in his home on suspected links to crooked transfer deals.

Another agent Dejan Veljkovic is suspected of both fraud and match fixing, according to Belgian media reports.

Suspicions of match-fixing emerged during the fraud investigation, with a focus on matches played in the 2017-18 season, prosecutors said.

Veljkovic is alleged to have engineered a match-fixing scheme with a Belgian referee in a failed effort to save club KV Mechelen from relegation.

The Mechelen financial director, Thierry Steemans, has been detained and charged in the match-fixing case, Flemish daily De Standaard reported.

The searches were carried out at the headquarters of nine football clubs, including Mechelen, Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Genk and Standard Liege.

Club Brugge coach Ivan Leko, whose team is playing in the Champions League this season, was released after questioning on Thursday.

The house searches outside Belgium were mainly connected to the suspect transfer schemes, said prosecutors.

The investigation started in late 2017 as a result of a report drawn up by the Sports Fraud Cell.

UPDATE: Belgian prosecutors have charged 19 suspects and detained nine in a massive fraud and match-fixing scandal that has mired Belgium's top football league in scandal https://t.co/cpONvjJWoP #MogiBayat

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 12, 2018

Dumoulin gets straight back on his bike for post-Tour race in Boxmeer

DutchNews, July 30, 2018

Tom Dumoulin (left) on the podium in Paris with Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome.
Photo: Stephane Mantey/ Belga via HH

Just a day after finishing second in the Tour de France, Tom Dumoulin is getting back on his bike for the Daags na de Tour race in Boxmeer. 

Organisers of the 80km race are hanging out yellow banners to welcome Dumoulin, who became the first Dutchman in 28 years to finish on the podium in Paris. Last year the town was decorated in pink to salute Dumoulin’s victory in the Giro d’Italia. 

Dumoulin ended the Tour 1 minute 51 seconds behind Welshman Geraint Thomas, the surprise winner, with Chris Froome, who edged out the Dutchman in this year’s Giro in May, a further 33 seconds behind. 

The 27-year-old from Limburg is one of several leading tour riders competing in Boxmeer, along with Steven Kruijswijk, who finished fifth overall, Bauke Mollema, Laurens ten Dam and Wout Poels. 

The short, flat course is best suited to sprinters such as last year’s winner, Dylan Groenwegen, who is also competing and claimed two stage wins in the first week of this year’s Tour. 

Race organiser Pierre Hermans said Mollema was a late addition to the start list after sponsors came up with extra cash to add his name to those of Dumoulin and Kruijswijk. ‘Initially he was out of our range. We had reached the limit of our budget. But the extra sponsorship money meant we were able to bring Bauke to Boxmeer,’ he told AD. 

Ozil defends controversial picture with Erdogan

Yahoo – AFP, July 22, 2018

Ozil, 29, came in for stinging criticism in Germany for their shock first-round defeat
at the World Cup (AFP Photo/Luis Acosta)

Berlin (AFP) - Footballer Mesut Ozil said Sunday he had no regrets about his controversial photograph with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that sparked questions about his loyalty to Germany's national squad ahead of the World Cup.

Breaking his silence over the snapshot that caused outrage during the tournament, the Arsenal midfielder said in a statement on Twitter that he was loyal to both his Turkish and German origins and insisted he did not intend to make a political statement.

"Like many people, my ancestry traces back to more than one country. Whilst I grew up in Germany, my family background has its roots firmly based in Turkey," he said.

"I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish."

Ozil said he had first met Erdogan in 2010 after the president and German Chancellor Angela Merkel watched a Germany-Turkey match together.

"Since then, our paths have crossed a lot of times around the globe," he said.

"I'm aware that the picture of us caused a huge response in the German media, and whilst some people may accuse me of lying or being deceitful, the picture we took had no political intentions."

Ozil said despite the timing of the picture with teammate Ilkay Gundogan and Erdogan -- shortly before the president won re-election in a poll endowing him with sweeping new powers -- "it wasn't about politics or elections, it was about me respecting the highest office of my family's country".

"My job is a football player and not a politician, and our meeting was not an endorsement of any policies," Ozil said.

"I get that this may be hard to understand, as in most cultures the political leader cannot be thought of as being separate from the person. But in this case it is different. Whatever the outcome would've been in this previous election, or the election before that, I would have still taken the picture."

Ozil, 29, came in for stinging criticism in Germany for their shock first-round defeat at the World Cup.

Team boss Oliver Bierhoff suggested after the debacle that Germany should have considered dropping Ozil after his failure to explain himself over the Erdogan picture.

Bierhoff later backtracked, saying that he "was wrong" to put Ozil under undue pressure, but the picture continued to draw scorn from fans on social media.

Germany is home to more than three million people of Turkish origin.

#UPDATE Ozil, who has Turkish roots, had earlier defended a photograph with Turkey's President Erdogan that caused some to question his loyalty to the German team https://t.co/3XxTRNvvYH

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 22, 2018

'Illegal to be who I am' - Daley urges change in same-sex laws

Yahoo – AFP, Robert SMITH, April 13, 2018

Britain's Tom Daley has voiced his concerns about the treatment of homosexuals
 in large parts of the Commonwealth, whose athletes are gathered on Australia's
Gold Coast for the ongoing Games (AFP Photo/Anthony WALLACE)

Gold Coast (Australia) (AFP) - English world champion diver Tom Daley on Friday urged Commonwealth nations who outlaw homosexuality to relax their anti-gay stance.

Openly gay Daley, who is expecting a child with his partner through a surrogate, grasped the opportunity of his gold medal triumph in the 10m synchro event to push for change.

Daley, who won gold with team-mate Daniel Goodfellow, said sexual acts between consenting adults of the same sex are criminalised in 37 Commonwealth countries.

Daley voiced his concerns about the treatment of homosexuals in large parts of the Commonwealth, whose athletes are gathered on Australia's Gold Coast for the ongoing Games.

"Hopefully, I know this might sound a bit political, but by the next Commonwealth Games (in Birmingham 2022), there are 37 countries in the Commonwealth where it's currently illegal to be who I am, so hopefully we can reduce that number between now and then," Daley told reporters.

"Coming to the Gold Coast and being able to live as an openly gay man is really important and to be able to feel comfortable in who you are when you are standing on that diving board.

"For 37 countries that are here participating that's very much not the case."

Daley said it was time for those Commonwealth countries to change their anti-gay laws.

"You just have to face those things and try and make change," he said.

"There are lots of things that are going to take a long time to change, but I feel with the Commonwealth I think we can really help push some of the other nations to relax their laws on anti-gay sex."

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg said his organisation was proud of its record on inclusivity.

"At the time of Glasgow 2014, 43 Commonwealth countries criminalised same sex activity, but today, that number has been reduced to 37," Grevemberg said Friday.

"We hope that the Commonwealth sports movement is playing a meaningful role in the wider global conversation around tolerance, empowerment and legal recognition for all."

Daley's comments were backed by New Zealand boxer Alexis Pritchard, who wore rainbow socks in support of gay rights in her 57kg semi-final on Friday.

"I think it's particularly sad that people cannot love who they want to love," she told AFP.

"It's important that each and every individual has rights to receive love and give love to the people that they choose.

"I find it absolutely sad that we are not open to that in so many nations."

The penalties for private, consensual sexual conduct between same-sex adults remain harsh in a number of Commonwealth countries, including imprisonment, hard labour and in some cases flogging.

The Commonwealth countries that outlaw homosexuality include Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tonga.

Paris celebrates 2024 Olympic win as LA accepts 2028 consolation

Yahoo – AFP, Françoise CHAPTAL, Aug 1, 2017

Paris was insistent on hosting the Olympics in 2024, on the 100th anniversary
of the city's 1924 Games (AFP Photo/FRANCK FIFE)

Paris (AFP) - Paris was celebrating victory on Tuesday in its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games after Los Angeles announced its intention to host the 2028 event instead in return for financial sweeteners.

Officially, French President Emmanuel Macron gave Monday's announcement by Los Angeles a cautious welcome, hailing a "very important step" on the road to hosting the Games.

The deal was described by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach as a "win-win-win" agreement for both cities and the Olympic movement.

But despite the fact that Paris is now effectively the only remaining candidate to host the 2024 Summer Games, Macron and other bid leaders shied away from overt triumphalism until an official announcement.

"France notes the decision of Los Angeles to put forward its candidature for 2028 and to reach an agreement with the IOC and Paris," a statement from Macron's office said.

Macron spoke to Bach following Los Angeles' announcement and was "delighted by this very important step towards France obtaining the Games in 2024".

Olympic Games host cities (AFP Photo/Paz PIZARRO)

Announcing the decision on Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said "this deal was too good to pass up".

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter: "Happy that my friend @MayorofLA has made an important new step on an agreement that will have three winners: Paris, Los Angeles and the IOC."

However others were less circumspect, with French newspapers celebrating the Paris win and Tony Estanguet, the Paris bid co-leader, saying he could see "nothing standing in the way of Paris staging the Games".

"This time we've won it," said a headline on the front page of Le Parisien newspaper.

Paris, which will host the Games for a third time, endured the disappointment of failed bids in 1992, 2008 and 2012.

Both Paris and Los Angeles had wanted to host the 2024 Olympics, with the winner to be officially named by the IOC on September 13 in the Peruvian capital Lima.

But the possibility that Los Angeles would abandon a 2024 bid and instead accept the 2028 Games has been growing since the IOC decided in July that it would attempt to award both Games at its Lima meeting.

The French capital insisted it only wanted to host the Games in 2024, on the 100th anniversary of the city's 1924 Olympics, prompting Los Angeles to soften its stance and consider hosting the 2028 Games.

Los Angeles has twice hosted the Summer Olympics, in 1932 and 1984 (AFP

Photo/FREDERIC J. BROWN)

'Proud'

And confirmation of the decision everyone was expecting came on Monday night.

"I am proud to announce the Olympic Games are coming back to the United States of America," Mayor Garcetti said at a ceremony at the StubHub Center stadium.

"In 2028, we are bringing the Games back to LA, one of the great capitals of the Olympic movement. A city that has always been a Games changer and will be again in 2028."

LA officials, who had put forward a $5.3 billion (4.5 billion euros) bid for 2024, said an agreement had been reached with the IOC on financial considerations that would make waiting an extra four years feasible.

Bid chief Casey Wasserman said the IOC had waived various fees and payments that could ultimately save LA organisers millions.

The IOC will also advance $180 million to LA organisers to lessen the impact of the longer lead-up time, money that normally would not be disbursed until closer to the Games kickoff.

Los Angeles' Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the city "would be stupid" not to 

agree to host the Olympics in 2028 (AFP Photo/Fabrice COFFRINI)

"The IOC contribution as stipulated by the HCC is $1.8 billion and has the potential to exceed $2 billion according to the evaluation of the LA bid committee when taking into account the estimated value of existing sponsor agreements to be renewed and potential new marketing deals," the bid committee said in a statement.

Like Paris, this will bring the Games back to Los Angeles for a third time, after the city hosted in 1932 and 1984.

The agreement must still be approved by the Los Angeles City Council and the United States Olympic Committee -- both of which backed the 2024 bid.

But Bach said he expected any remaining hurdles to be cleared.

"We are very confident that we can reach a tripartite agreement under the leadership of the IOC with LA and Paris in August, creating a win-win-win situation for all three partners," he said.

The United States last hosted the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 while the Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Cristiano Ronaldo denies tax fraud at court hearing

Yahoo – AFP, Benjamin BOULY RAMES, July 31, 2017

Portugal and Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's highest paid
athlete, according to Forbes magazine

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo denied hiding millions of euros in income at a court hearing near the Spanish capital on Monday where he was charged with tax evasion.

The Portuguese -- the world's highest paid sportsman according to Forbes magazine -- is the latest football star to fall foul of Spain's taxman.

He follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who was found guilty of the same offence last year.

"I have never hidden anything, nor have I had the intention of evading taxes," Ronaldo, 32, told the court, according to a statement from the sports agency which represents him, Gestifute.

"I always voluntarily file my tax returns because I think we all must file a return and pay taxes according to our income. Those that know me, know what I ask my advisors: that they have everything up to date and properly paid, because I don't want problems."

Accused of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax, he entered and left the court in Pozuelo de Alarcon, a wealthy suburb of Madrid where he lives, via an underground garage to avoid the press.

Prosecutors allege he took "advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities".

The world's highest-paid sports personalities in 2016 (Forbes magazine)

They say this was a "voluntary and conscious breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain".

Prosecutors accuse the four-time world player of the year of evading tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for low corporate tax rates.

In addition, they say the Real Madrid striker only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while what he really earned during that time was close to 43 million euros.

They also accuse him of "voluntarily" refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income linked to the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company.

'Legal and legitimate'

Ronaldo told the court he did not create a "special structure" to manage his image rights when he moved to Real in 2009 but simply maintained the one set up in 2004 while he was at Manchester United "long before I thought of coming to Spain".

This structure had been deemed "legal and legitimate" by the British tax office.

The affair has taken its toll on Ronaldo.

According to press reports, Real's all-time top goalscorer threatened to leave Spain over the affair, giving supporters a fright.

He has since decided to stay on, according to Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

If he were put on trial and found guilty, Ronaldo would risk "a fine of at least 28 million" euros and could potentially be jailed for three and a half years, the Gestha union of experts at Spain's Inland Revenue has said.

Since extending his contract last November until 2021, Ronaldo is the highest paid sports star in the world with $93 million earned in 2016-2017, according to Forbes.

Ronaldo is not the only footballer to fall foul of authorities in Spain, which is only just recovering from a damaging economic crisis that saw countless people lose their jobs and inequalities rise.

Messi was sentenced to a 21-month jail sentence and 2.09 million-euro fine last year for tax fraud.

His prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of 252,000 euros, which corresponds to 400 euros for each day of jail.

Barcelona's Argentine defender Javier Mascherano, meanwhile, agreed a one-year suspended sentence with authorities for tax fraud last year.

Brazil star Neymar, another Barcelona forward, and his parents are also due to stand trial for alleged corruption over his transfer from Santos in 2013.

Real have not been spared either.

Apart from Ronaldo, former player Angel di Maria, Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao and Jose Mourinho, who coached the club from 2010 to 2013, have all been accused of tax fraud.

All are clients of super-agent Jorge Mendes, who was also questioned and put under official investigation last month by a Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Monaco's former Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, another footballer in his stable.

Froome wins fourth Tour de France, 'honoured' to be with greats

Yahoo – AFP, CHESTERMAN, Jul 23, 2017

Great Britain's Chris Froome (C) flashes victory signs during the twenty-first and
last stage of the Tour de France on July 23, 2017 (AFP Photo/Jeff PACHOUD)

Paris (AFP) - Briton Chris Froome secured his fourth Tour de France title at the end of the 21st and final stage won by Dylan Groenewegen on Sunday and said it was a huge honour to be amongst cycling's greats.

Sky's Froome had previously won the 2013, 2015 and 2016 editions and sits fifth overall in the all-time list of Tour victors behind five-time winners Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

"It's a huge honour to be talked about in the same sentence as those guys with their place in the history of the Tour de France," 32-year-old Froome, who will aim to match them next year, told ITV4.

"It is just a privilege to even be in the position to be going for that kind of record.

"Each time I've won the Tour it's so unique and so different and it is such a different battle to get to this moment.

"So they're all special in their own ways and this year I think will be remembered for being the closest and most hard-fought battle between the GC rivals."

At the end of three weeks, 21 stages and more than 3,500km, Froome rolled over the line on the Champs Elysees in Paris with a broad grin alongside his Sky team-mates, who wore a special kit for the occasion with their usual blue stripe replaced by a yellow one.

A look at the record of multiple Tour de France winner Chris Froome

(AFP Photo/Paul DEFOSSEUX)

It was Froome's closest Tour struggle yet as his final winning margin was less than a minute for the first time, Colombia's Rigoberto Uran finishing second at 54sec with Romain Bardet of France, the runner-up last year, third at 2min 20sec.

The 103km final stage began with a nod to history in Montgeron, where the very first stage of the inaugural Tour in 1903 also began, at a leisurely pace giving Froome, his team-mates and the winners of the other distinctive jerseys the chance to celebrate with glasses of champagne as they rode out of the town and towards the French capital.

By the time they got there the tempo had risen to the opposite scale of the spectrum and it was a full pelt bunch that rode to the finish, where 24-year-old Groenewegen struck out for home from a long way out and held off the hard-charging Andre Greipel, winner on the Champs Elysees in the previous two years, with Edvald Boasson Hagen third.

'Perfect'

"This is an amazing place for the sprinters. To win on the Champs-Elysees makes it a perfect day," said Dutchman Groenewegen of the Lotto NL Jumbo team.

Colombia's Rigoberto Uran (L), Great Britain's Christopher Froome (C) and 

France's Romain Bardet celebrate on the podium on the Champs-Elysees 

avenue in Paris on July 23, 2017 (AFP Photo/Jeff PACHOUD)

"This is my first stage win at the Tour. When I was young, I was looking at the Champs-Elysees stage on TV. Now I'm the winner here, it's wonderful."

It was the biggest victory of Groenewegen's young career but the day undoubtedly belonged to Froome.

"It feels amazing. The Champs Elysees never disappoints, it's something magical," said Froome.

"When you've spent three weeks thinking about being here in this moment, it is so rewarding every time."

Alongside the yellow jersey winner, Australia's Michael Matthews won the sprinters' green points jersey, France's Warren Barguil triumphed in the polkadot king of the mountains competition and Simon Yates of Britain succeeded twin brother Adam as the best young rider in the white jersey.

Froome's Sky finished as the best team having claimed the yellow helmets on the first stage in Dusseldorf three weeks ago and never relinquished their lead in the competition, which they won for the first time despite claiming the yellow jersey in five of the last six years.

The last remaining prize went to Barguil, a winner of two stages, who was named the most combative rider of the Tour.

Vindicated Froome heading for Tour de France yellow record https://t.co/QC1Zo0ubBb #TDF2017 by @BarnyChesterman pic.twitter.com/bKdbOxKh6U

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 23, 2017