Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez are set to have a run-in with law enforcement over some of their business dealings outside of football, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
The Portugal superstar’s company, Insparya Medical Clinic, has reportedly been defrauding the authorities with shady invoices to its customers.
Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo has made a great deal of money throughout his professional career, with his endorsements and earnings from the game among the highest ever. He allows his partner Georgina Rodriguez to manage some of his affairs, including the Insparya Clinic for hair treatment.
In February 2022, the company had a file opened by the Tax Agency in Spain for issuing invoices without VAT to numerous clients between 2019 and 2021. After 15 months, the proceeding was concluded, and a resolution was reached to begin the hearing process in order to allow the company to regularise its taxes.
The company has made some shady dealings, including in their management of the condition of alopecia. They consider the condition a disease and exempt the services they provide towards the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and cure of the disease from taxation.
This is a sticking point because the Tax Agency clearly indicates that hair transplants are for aesthetic purposes only. The company presented a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) to justify its claim that alopecia is a disease, likening its treatment to prosthesis provision.
“It is not questionable that the treatment of the disease of alopecia leads to an aesthetic improvement in a large part of the patients subjected to said treatment, but the objective of this treatment is not only aesthetic, but also medical, such as the placement of a prosthesis to a patient who has lost a limb.”
The clinic, which has Georgina Rodriguez listed as its administrator, has branches in Madrid, Marbella, Valencia, Bilbao, and outside Spain in Portugal and Italy. Cristiano Ronaldo must now ensure that the company satisfies all conditions to avoid a heavy sanction.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez moved to Saudi Arabia with their children in January. Ronaldo has enjoyed his stay in the country, shining for his new club Al-Nassr on and off the pitch. The Portugal captain has scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in 16 matches across competitions this season.
Georgina Rodriguez is usually seen spending time with their five children, often taking them along to watch games involving their father. The footballer’s oldest son, Cristiano Jr, recently signed with Al-Nassr’s U-13 squad.
Ronaldo and his partner have adapted well to life in the Middle East, and many of his peers have moved from Europe after him. The oil-rich country, which is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, has spent heavily on players in recent times. The likes of Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and Roberto Firmino all ply their trade in the Saudi Pro League.
Source: Sportskeeda