Mr. Messi was also fined about 2.1 million euros, or $2.3 million, by a court in Barcelona. Offenders in Spain are typically imprisoned for financial crimes only if the sentence is at least two years or if they already have a criminal record, neither of which applies to Mr. Messi.
The soccer player’s father also received a 21-month jail term and a 1.6 million euro fine for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) 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. The case against Mr. Messi, who plays for the Spanish soccer powerhouse Barcelona, and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, dates to 2013, when a state prosecutor opened an investigation into whether they had defrauded the state of 4.1 million euros. The investigation focused on the player’s tax returns filed between 2007 and 2009.
Under the Spanish system, prison
terms of under two years can be served under probation, so neither man is
expected to actually serve time in jail. Both Messi and his father made a
voluntary €5m "corrective payment", equal to the alleged unpaid tax
plus interest, in August 2013.
"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."
Appearing in court last month, the
soccer star limited his comments to repeating that he was completely uninvolved
in the advertising contracts, and said that he was unaware of the overall state
of his finances. His father, meanwhile, said the contracts had been reviewed by
a legal adviser.
"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."
In its sentence, the court dismissed
the Barcelona player’s argument as insufficient to exonerate him from his
fiscal responsibility. The sentence can be, and is expected to be, appealed via the Spanish Supreme Court.
The sentencing came shortly after
Mr. Messi announced his
retirement from international soccer, after missing a penalty in
Argentina’s loss to Chile in the final of the Copa América. He will continue to
play for his club.
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