Cristiano intending to stay at Real Madrid - as things stand
Cristiano Ronaldo is understood to have told Real he wishes to remain at the Bernabéu, but his court hearing on 31 July could change everything.
Cristiano Ronaldo is understood to have informed Real Madrid through his advisers that he has changed his mind and is planning to stay with Los Blancos - but his new stance may yet not be final.
Cristiano looks like staying, but court date could change everything
After the storm sparked by A Bola's revelation in mid-June that Cristiano had decided to leave Spain in the wake of tax fraud accusations, the message he has now conveyed to the club has brought renewed calm at the Bernabéu.
Real president Florentino Pérez's public defence of Cristiano in an interview two weeks ago appears in principle to have been enough to ensure the player feels the backing of his club and has reconsidered his position.
However, his apparent U-turn could also be vulnerable to change, which is why the messages of calm from his camp still retain a certain degree of ambiguity: "At the moment everything's OK. Right now there's no problem. Let's see what happens..."
The reason that nobody is willing to flat out guarantee that CR7 will stay is that everything could shift on 31 July, when the Portugal captain is due to testify at a Madrid court in relation to four counts of alleged tax evasion totalling 14.8m euros.
Spanish prosecutors have already prepared their questioning of the 32-year-old - and his future at Real could well depend on how that preliminary hearing turns out.
Ronaldo on holiday after Portugal's Confed Cup exit
In the meantime, the former Manchester United forward is enjoying his summer holiday, having been released by Portugal following their Confederations Cup semi-final defeat, and is maintaining his public silence.
Real head coach Zinedine Zidane spoke to him during the tournament in Russia, and is expecting him to join up with the LaLiga and Champions League winners' pre-season preparations on 3 August, when their tour to the US finishes.
