Madrid, June 14: The football world has been hit by a major controversy in recent weeks after it was speculated that Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has followed the path of his rival Lionel Messi as he was accused of defrauding the tax department of Spain.

All leagues special site; Spanish authorities file lawsuit against Ronaldo

The prosecutor's office in Madrid has stated that it has filed a lawsuit against the Portuguese forward.

The richest sportsperson in the world has been accused of evading tax of 14.7m euros (£13m; $16m) from 2011 to 2014.

In a statement, representatives of the world's highest paid footballer said there had never been concealment, or the slightest intention to conceal.

"It is clear that the football player did not try to evade taxes," Ronaldo's Gestifute management company said.

It said that the Real Madrid number seven had not hidden any income from the tax authorities or defrauded Spain.

Ronaldo had previously said he was not worried about tax investigations as he had nothing to hide.

On this occasion, he is accused of knowingly using a "business structure" to hide income made from his image rights.

In December, leaked documents suggested that Ronaldo had avoided tax on income allegedly held in offshore accounts - allegations he also denied.

When asked about that investigation, he told a journalist from Radio Television Portuguesa (RTP) "Quien no debe no teme", which roughly translates as "He who has nothing to hide has no fear."

Ronaldo is the world's highest-paid sportsperson for the second successive year, according to Forbes' annual list of the world's wealthiest people. The 32-year-old earned $93m (£72m) from salary, bonuses and endorsements last year.

Not only in terms of money, Ronaldo has had his fair share of success on the pitch as well of late with winning the La Liga and helping Real Madrid retain their Champions League title.

OneIndia News