Lionel Messi Sentenced To 21 Months In Jail For Tax Fraud, But Will Avoid Time

A Barcelona court handed superstar Argentine forward Lionel Messi and his father suspended sentences of 21 months in prison for tax fraud.

Lionel Messi Sentenced To 21 Months In Jail For Tax Fraud, But Will Avoid Time

The court found 29-year-old Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, guilty of three counts of defrauding the Spanish tax department of €4.1 million (roughly $4.55 million) between 2007 and 2009.

They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights. Messi’s fathers claimed he was told by a legal advisor that the practice was legal.

However, Under Spanish law, prison terms of under two years for first offenses are suspended and can be served under probation. Thus, neither man will serve time in jail.

During a four-day trial last month, the Barcelona star and his father denied any wrongdoing. Both said the player was unaware of the tax issues that led to the fraud charges.

However, the state prosecutor argued that Messi and his father had failed to prove their innocence and were unable to show that the player did not have at least some knowledge of the corporate structures created to lower his tax burden in Spain.

In addition to the prison terms, Messi was fined about €2m and his father €1.5m. They made a voluntary €5m “corrective payment”, equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013.

The sentence can be appealed against via the Spanish supreme court.

FC Barcelona released a statement regarding their star player’s case.

“FC Barcelona expresses its full support to Leo Messi and his father in relation to the conviction for tax fraud…

“The club… considers that the player, who has corrected his position with the Spanish tax office, is in no way criminally responsible with regards to the facts underlined in this case.”

Messi is Argentina’s top scorer in history with 55 goals in 113 international appearances. However, he announced his retirement from international soccer one day after Argentina fell to Chile in penalties in the Copa America Centenario final on June 26. That was his third Copa America final loss with Argentina (the previous two were in 2007 and 2015). Messi and Argentina also lost the FIFA World Cup Final against Germany in Brazil in 2014.

He has also won eight Spanish league titles– including the UEFA Champions League (four), the Copa del Rey (once, 2016), and the Spanish Championship– scoring 453 competitive goals in 531 games, including a league-record 312. He has also won the Fifa Ballon d’Or as world’s best footballer five times, and was voted UEFA’s best player in Europe three times. Messi also won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in Beijing in 2008.

PHOTO: EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 26: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks on against Chile during the Copa America Centenario Championship match at MetLife Stadium on June 26, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Chile defeated Argentina 4-2 in penalty kicks. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)