Shakira's lawyer claims the singer would have saved £100million if she had 'fallen in love with Sergio Ramos instead of Gerard Pique' after agreeing to pay a £6.4m fine to avoid a three-year jail sentence over tax fraud

Shakira's lawyer has claimed she would have saved herself 'more than £100million' if she had fallen in love with former Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos instead of Gerard Pique.

Pau Molins said the quirks of the Spanish tax system meant her 11-year romance with the retired Barcelona footballer led to her facing six tax fraud charges instead of three.

He defended his arguments, made on a radio station today, by pointing out that residents in Madrid do not pay wealth tax unlike those living in Catalonia.

Three of the crimes Shakira confessed to in court on Monday as part of a plea bargain deal related to evasion of wealth tax, a tax on residents' worldwide net assets, for the years 2012 and 2014. The other three related to income tax evasion.

The 46-year-old avoided a possible eight-year prison sentence as a result of the last-minute deal ahead of her scheduled trial in Barcelona.

She agreed to a three-year jail sentence she will avoid serving by paying fines totalling more than £7million.

Making his comments about the Colombian artist's choice of partner on a Catalan radio station, Mr Molins said: 'Shakira's infatuation has cost her €120million (£104 million).

'If she had fallen in love with Sergio Ramos instead of Gerard Pique it would have cost her a lot less.

'They go on about the equality of all Spaniards, but it turns out that if you're resident in Catalonia you can go to jail for a crime they couldn't imprison you for in Madrid, even if you're doing the same thing, because there is no wealth tax.'

Mr Pau also insisted he had wanted to go to trial, saying: 'I thought we could have won,' but said Shakira had decided to make a deal and his obligation had been to respect her wishes.

He went on to defend his client, claiming: 'With international artists it's very difficult.

'Where do they live if they spend all their lives travelling? In 2011 Shakira did a world tour and visited 74 countries. It's very complicated to determine where they should pay their taxes.'

Shakira said after admitting six counts of tax fraud on Monday at a court in Barcelona that she had done it for her career and her two sons Milan and Sasha.

The singer-songwriter said in a lengthy statement issued through her PR representatives: 'I have to choose my battles and the most important thing for me right now is that my children live a full life and I focus on what is really important: watching them grow and spending time with them, without submitting them to the anguish of seeing their mother in a court trial with the damage that causes.

'They themselves asked me to do this and I've taken this decision for them.

'They have gone through some difficult times and I want them to see me happy finally and be able to look together to the future.'

Taking a swipe at the Spanish tax system, she added: 'I feel the system in Spain needs to be revised for the benefit of its citizens.

'And I will continue being an ally to ensure this occurs.

'There are a lot of people who cannot afford to pay for good defence lawyers or even reach an out-of-court settlement and have seen their lives crumble in front of them because of discrepancies with the Spanish Treasury.'

Saying her fight to clear her name had caused her an enormous amount of wasted time and resources, she added: 'I felt ready to face a trial and defend my innocence.

'My lawyers were convinced we had a winning case.

'However I have taken this decision after a fight lasting many years.

'I had two options, to continue to the end, mortgaging my happiness and that of my children, stopping making songs and albums and touring, being unable to enjoy my career and the things I love, or make a pact and close and leave behind this chapter in my life looking forward.

'I've reached the conclusion that it's not a triumph winning if the price you have to pay is that they steal so many years of your life.'

The mum-of-two admitted wrongdoing in a brief public hearing after taking the stand in an eye-catching pink trouser suit.

Spanish state prosecutors announced in a pre-trial indictment they were seeking an eight year, two month jail term for Shakira and a fine of nearly £21 million (€23.7million) if judges found her guilty of six counts of tax fraud in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The trial, due to last until December 20 over 12 sessions, did not go ahead as a result of the plea bargain deal.

Judge Manuel del Amo confirmed in open court after hearing the singer's guilty plea that in light of the agreement, he was handing her a three year prison sentence - six months for each of the six counts of tax fraud she had admitted to.

He then added her prison time would be substituted by a fine, meaning she would not to have to go to jail.

Shakira will be fined £6.4 million (€7.3 million) for the six tax fraud crimes she confessed to, less than a third the amount prosecutors were seeking ahead of trial. She had already repaid the tax officials accused her of dodging - which with interest on top came to nearly £15 million (€17 million).

She will also have to pay a fine totalling £378,000 (€432,000) to avoid prison.

The huge sum Mr Molins referred to in his radio interview is thought to cover the fines and interest Shakira has already paid or will have to pay, plus the wealth tax he says she would have been spared if she had lived in Madrid.

The prosecution's case against Shakira focused on where she lived in 2012 to 2014, with her accusers saying she spent enough time in Barcelona to be considered tax resident in Spain even though she claimed to be tax-domiciled in the Bahamas.

She left Barcelona earlier this year to start a new life with her two children with Pique following their ugly split.

Before leaving she made headlines with a diss song in January targeting Pique and his new 24-year-old lover Clara Chia by claiming he had traded a Ferrari for a Twingo and a Rolex for a Casio.