Cristiano Ronaldo feels like an ‘innocent person in prison’ due to the accusations being levelled at him in the wake of the Football Leaks scandal.
The Portuguese superstar was speaking after scooping his fourth Ballon d’Or award, eight years after his first, but admitted the ongoing talk of alleged tax evasion had put a dampener on the trophy.
A number of international media outlets reported on documents released by the Football Leaks website which said he had used an Irish holding company for image rights rather than paying tax in Spain – the tax rate in Spain for such deals is 56%, compared to 12.5% in Ireland.
“There are a lot of innocent people in prison, I feel a bit like that,” Ronaldo told France Football.
“Of course it (Football Leaks) has ruined my joy! I would be lying if I said no. I am not a hypocrite. I do not always say what I think because sometimes, it brings prejudice against me, but yes it certainly does not do me good.
“The entire process, and there is no need to say where it all started from, is hard not only for me but for the people who are by my side: my family, my son, everyone who works with me. My son goes to school. He is starting to understand things. All of this upsets me, because I am trying to do things well, to be transparent.”
The 31-year-old once again reinforced his belief that he was totally innocent and he was willing to be totally transparent with the authorities, as this was more serious than the usual gossip.
“All you have to do is type Cristiano Ronaldo on the internet and you know everything about me. I have no reason to lie,” he continued.
“Everything is written about me, about my fiancés – what has come out upsets me because it is not true. The lies upset me.
“But I am a bit used to it, whether people are saying good or bad things about me. You have to live with it.”
