<p>Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has been acquitted of tax fraud, a Madrid court announced on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The prosecutors had initially demanded him to face five years in jail before halving their request.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Alonso, a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, was accused of using a company based on the Portuguese island of Madeira to avoid paying 2 million euros ($2.2 million) in taxes on his image rights to the Spanish authorities.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Prosecutors said the fraud took place between 2010 and 2012 when he was playing for Real Madrid.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The court added it was impossible to discuss a cover-up as the transfer of the rights had been 'formalised in the contract' signed in 2009 between Alonso and the Portuguese firm.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Alonso, who retired from playing in 2017 after a stint at Bayern Munich, is one of a string of high-profile footballers to face scrutiny by the Spanish tax authorities over the declaration of income from image rights.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Some have admitted fraud as part of a deal to avoid jail time, including Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa and Barcelona's Gerard Pique, both of whom paid out after being convicted over the summer.</p>.<p class="bodytext">And earlier this year, the tax authorities caught up with Juventus attacker Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho, both over the management and declaration of image rights.</p>
<p>Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has been acquitted of tax fraud, a Madrid court announced on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The prosecutors had initially demanded him to face five years in jail before halving their request.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Alonso, a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, was accused of using a company based on the Portuguese island of Madeira to avoid paying 2 million euros ($2.2 million) in taxes on his image rights to the Spanish authorities.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Prosecutors said the fraud took place between 2010 and 2012 when he was playing for Real Madrid.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The court added it was impossible to discuss a cover-up as the transfer of the rights had been 'formalised in the contract' signed in 2009 between Alonso and the Portuguese firm.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Alonso, who retired from playing in 2017 after a stint at Bayern Munich, is one of a string of high-profile footballers to face scrutiny by the Spanish tax authorities over the declaration of income from image rights.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Some have admitted fraud as part of a deal to avoid jail time, including Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa and Barcelona's Gerard Pique, both of whom paid out after being convicted over the summer.</p>.<p class="bodytext">And earlier this year, the tax authorities caught up with Juventus attacker Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho, both over the management and declaration of image rights.</p>