Spanish media are reporting that international football ace Lionel Messi has been handed a 21 month prison sentence for tax fraud.
He also faces having to pay millions of euros worth of fines for reportedly using tax havens in countries like Uruguay and Belize. Jorge Messi, his father, also faces a jail term for the same charges.
However, despite how bleak it looks for Messidonna, he is not likely to actually go to jail. The Spanish system dictates that sentences under two years can be served under probation, meaning the Barcelona star could avoid hitting the pen altogether.
Lionel Messi defended his case by saying he “knew nothing” about the tax fraud or how his finance was managed, because he was “playing football”.
The charges are alleged to have happened between 2007 and 2009.