Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has been slapped with a massive €1 million fine after reportedly failing foul of the Spanish tax authorities' regulations.
On Wednesday, reports emerged from Spain that Ramos had been fined by the Spanish Treasury over "tax irregularities" relating to his image rights.
According to the treasury's report, the irregularities relate to a period between 2012 and 2014 in which funds received by Ramos in respect of his image rights were reportedly transferred into the account of an external company, and not declared in his personal capacity.
Spanish publication Marca has reported that Ramos believes he has complied with the tax requirements and that a large portion of the €1 million (R16 million) fine, which he will be appealing, has already been paid.
The 33-year-old also released a statement in which he clarified that the sanction was an "administrative fine" rather than a criminal offence, and that the issue has only arisen due to the tax authorities unilaterally changing their own criteria for such payments.
Ramos is the latest player to fall foul of tax laws in Spain, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo all having been sanctioned in recent years.
