Lionel Messi, father get 21-month prison term over tax charges; will avoid jail

Spain: Argentina and Barcelona star, Lionel Messi and his father Jorge Messi have been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a Barcelona court found them guilty of three counts of tax fraud, though neither of them is likely to go to jail.

In a court statement, the sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court.
However, under Spanish law, a tax prison sentence under two years can be served under probation.
The court then ordered Messi to pay a fine of about €2 million euros, while his father is to pay a fine of €1.5m euros for the tax evasion.

Prosecutors had maintained that Messi and his father, Jorge, used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay as well as shell companies in the U.K. and Switzerland to avoid paying taxes totaling €4.1m on earnings from image rights from 2007 to 2009.

Barcelona immediately issued a statement in support of their player after the judgement, stating that they feel Messi is not criminally responsible for the tax fraud.

"FC Barcelona gives all its support to Leo Messi and his father with relation to the sentence for tax evasion handed out by the Provincial Court in Barcelona today," the statement read.

"The Club, in agreement with the Government prosecution service, 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.

"FC Barcelona continues to be at the disposal of Leo Messi and his family to support him in whatever action he decides to take in defence of his honesty and his legal interests."