Barcelona star Lionel Messi to face tax evasion trial

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi is to face court trial for alleged tax evasion, a Spanish judge has ruled.

The judge rejected a prosecution recommendation to drop the charges on the grounds the player's father was responsible for his finances.

Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding the authorities of more than 4m euros (£3.1m; $5m).

The pair, who deny wrongdoing, have five days to appeal against the ruling.

It is alleged that they withheld the money between 2007 and 2009.

The income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Proctor and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company.

The judge ruled: "In this type of crime, it is not necessary for someone to have complete knowledge of all the accounting and business operations nor the exact quantity, rather it is sufficient to be aware of the designs to commit fraud and consent to them."

-- BBC 2014-10-03

Messi and his father have already paid about $50 million euros back and still the government is thirsty. Nadal went through the same thing. Tax evasion in Spain has been de rigueur for decades, and what better way to keep the public's mind off sky high unemployment and the rest than highlighting cases against high profile athletes and celebs.

Not to say that tax evasion ought to be winked at, but there is something else going on in Spain. More political circus tricks to appease la publica.

He's going down, he's going down, Messi's going down.....

Messi and his father have already paid about $50 million euros back and still the government is thirsty. Nadal went through the same thing. Tax evasion in Spain has been de rigueur for decades, and what better way to keep the public's mind off sky high unemployment and the rest than highlighting cases against high profile athletes and celebs.

Not to say that tax evasion ought to be winked at, but there is something else going on in Spain. More political circus tricks to appease la publica.

Or maybe the Judge is a RM fan?

Spot on jellydog the economy is such a basket case that I guess they can keep milking the likes of Messi, without a prison sentence, which would go down like a lead balloon with the general public.

In fact Spanish based footballers are probably,on their own, keeping the place afloat.

Spot on jellydog the economy is such a basket case that I guess they can keep milking the likes of Messi, without a prison sentence, which would go down like a lead balloon with the general public.

In fact Spanish based footballers are probably,on their own, keeping the place afloat.

Yo. And some of the judges involved in the case just grandstanding. I believe the original prosecutors recommended that the case not go to trial.

Yes it is tragic that Mediterranean people have to learn how to pay taxes !

Ah poor messy my heart bleeds,,,, NOT, he's got more than enuf money to have had it sorted properly, plenty of bods in spain are surviving on

charity, if the gov want to make an example of him,, fair play, fuc him.