The star of the Argentina national team and Spanish football club “Barcelona” Lionel Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi was sentenced to 21 months in prison each for tax evasion in 2007, 2008 and 2009. According to the news Agency Europe Press, because the penalty includes imprisonment of less than two years, according to the Spanish laws, it is considered conditional.
The court also ruled that Messi needs to pay a fine in the amount of 2 million euros, and his father – 1.5 million.
Football player and his father accused of tax evasion amounting to 4 million euros. During the process, Messi claimed that he never dealt with the financial side of his career, and these issues were dealt with by his father. Before sentencing, he transferred to the Spanish Treasury EUR 10 million and was ready to make another 15 million that the case against him stopped. But the local government refused this proposal.
Messi plays for football club Barcelona with 17 years old, is the winner of five Golden balls (world record), was recognized as the best player in Europe by UEFA in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
