A Spanish court cleared former Real Madrid and Liverpool footballer Xabi Alonso of three counts of tax fraud on 26 November.
He was accused of failing to pay €2m (£1.7m, $2.2m) on money earned between 2010 and 2012 from image rights.
This was reportedly done via a company set up on the island of Madeira.
Had he been convicted, Alonso could have been jailed for up to five years.
Prosecutors also wanted him to pay a €4m fine on top of the €2m he would have been liable to pay the Spanish tax authorities.
La Liga hit list
Alonso’s victory stands in stark contrast to other footballers who have been caught in the Spanish taxman’s crosshairs.
Other high-profile names include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Mascherano, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa and Gerard Pique.
Mercurial football manager Jose Mourinho also admitted failing to pay tax.
