Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he is "relaxed" about allegations he defrauded the Spanish tax authorities of €15 million, and that he "sleeps very well" knowing he has always done the right thing.
Spanish prosecutors are considering whether Ronaldo should face charges for avoiding the payment of taxes due on image rights income between 2011 and 2014, with a union head at the tax authority claiming that the 32-year-old could face jail time for deliberate evasion
The issue is similar to the one that saw Lionel Messi found guilty of tax evasion in summer 2016, with Spain's Supreme Court having recently ratified a sentence of 21 months for the Barcelona star, although as a first-time offender that punishment was suspended.
Speaking on El Chiringuito TV, Ronaldo said the issue was not bothering him and his only focus at the moment was Saturday's Champions League final against Juventus in Cardiff.
¡OJO! @Cristiano, en EXCLUSIVA con @jpedrerol: "ESTOY MUY TRANQUILO con el TEMA de HACIENDA". #ChiringuitoCristiano pic.twitter.com/iDZ0FK3nuo
- El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 31, 2017
"I am very relaxed about it the truth is very, very relaxed," Ronaldo said. "I know that these things can be resolved with the best decisions. So I am good. I can say from the depth of my heart, looking straight into the camera.
"When you do things well you can go to bed feeling relaxed. And I sleep well always, always. So I am good, and only thinking about the Champions League final."
Asked if he felt mistreated by the media, Ronaldo said the most annoying thing was when people said or published things about him which were just not true.
"I would not say badly treated, I would not put them all in the same bag," he said. "When they say things without knowing the truth, things that are not true, that annoys me. I could spend my whole life denying things."
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has spoken about hi rapport with Barcelona star Messi, telling Fox Argentina: "I like to watch all the good players and Messi is one of them. I really enjoy seeing him on the pitch, along with all the great players.
"Whenever I'm with him, I have a very good relationship with Messi. It's not that I go to his house and eat together. He is not a friend, but I consider him a companion by profession and not a rival because I don't like it, like comparisons. It is part of the work and the world of football."