According to reports, Xabi Alonso, the current manager of Bayer Leverkusen, had been in a legal dispute with Spanish tax authorities for years regarding his time as a Real Madrid player. Today, this legal battle ended in Alonso’s favor as Spain’s Supreme Court ruled against the tax agency and in favor of the Leverkusen manager, who is expected to soon take charge at Real Madrid.

The Spanish tax agency had claimed that Alonso failed to settle his income taxes in 2012 while playing for Real Madrid. They had filed a lawsuit demanding Alonso pay approximately €288,000 in compensation.

The Spanish tax authority argued that taxes paid by Real Madrid on Alonso’s behalf according to his contract couldn’t cover all his tax liabilities, claiming part of his income was personal and subject to income tax that all working individuals in Spain must pay.

When the tax agency initially filed the lawsuit, Alonso and his lawyers went to the local court in Madrid, which ruled in his favor. The tax agency then took the case to the Supreme Court, which today also ruled in Alonso’s favor, stating he owes no tax debt to the Spanish government.

Interestingly, the Spanish prosecutor’s office, representing the tax agency, had filed serious charges against Alonso and even sought a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for tax evasion.

With no final verdict having been issued until today, some media outlets had claimed this case was one of Alonso’s and Real Madrid’s main concerns about signing him as manager. Now, with Alonso’s complete acquittal, the last obstacle to his move to Real Madrid has been removed.