Will Cristiano Ronaldo really leave Real Madrid this summer just because of his own alleged misdemeanours when it comes to paying tax? Probably not. And the proof is that the exact same thing happened to Lionel Messi last summer!
Apparently no footballers in Spain no how to pay tax, Messi, Neymar, Javier Mascherano and Angel di Maria have all been reported for avoiding it as have Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho in the past couple of weeks.
The allegations at Ronaldo have caused him to seemingly throw his toys out of the pram and demand a move away from the club, with most of us expecting him to get Los Blancos to foot the bill and suddenly he'll be happy again.
Just pay your taxes mate and then you won't get in this situation. Image: PA
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But 'CR7' is hardly the only one taking this route as according to Mundo Deportivo that's exactly what Messi did last summer when he picked up his 21 month suspended sentence for dodging tax.
According to the Spanish paper he told the club he wanted to leave with Manchester City as the new club he wanted to sign for. With the only sticking point the €250 million clause in the player's contract.
Messi told club president Josep Maria Bartomeu that he wanted to leave just days after the decision of the courts came through, which was less than two weeks after he lost the Copa America final with Argentina.
Messi really could have left for the Premier League. Image: PA
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Bartomeu and vice-president Jordi Mestre then flew to Miami to talk to the player's father to try and help get him to change his mind but that proved no help. The president then had to return to Spain to tell Luis Enrique about the situation.
The Premier League club were only willing to spend €150 million for the player and he obviously wasn't willing to pay the rest of the release clause himself. Eventually through talks there was some positive signs from the player.
A dinner with teammate Luis Suarez apparently changed everything with the Uruguayan talking at length with Messi. They had dinner a second time and Suarez convinced his colleague to go to training.
And then Messi decided to stay. And so will Ronaldo this season.
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City came closer than anyone else to signing one of the world's best players and they were still €100 million short!
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Manchester City, Barcelona, Lionel Messi