Menu
Finance

Lionel Messi, His Father To Face Trial Over Tax Fraud Allegations

Lionel Messi will face trial in Spain alongside his father, Jorge, over allegations of tax fraud, according to Noble & Buck of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The decision was made "even though state prosecutors in Spain said earlier this week that there was no reason for the Barcelona footballer to face trial." Messi and his father have been under investigation over allegations of tax evasion since the summer of '13. In a nine-page document released on Thursday, a judge in the Catalan town of Gavà found there were "rational indications" that "suggested wrongdoing by both father and son." The two will be now charged with three separate counts of tax fraud, covering the years '07 to '09. The charges, which "relate to taxes due on image rights and sponsorships, carry a maximum penalty of 22 months in prison" (FT, 10/8). The AFP reported no date has been set for the trial, "which will take place in Vilanova i la Geltru," where Messi lives. It is located 50km south of Barcelona. Prosecutors "had asked for the case against the four-time World Player of the Year to be dropped as they consider the alleged fraud was carried out by his father, who has managed his son's affairs since he was a child." They asked for Jorge Messi to be handed an 18-month prison sentence and "a fine of half the defrauded amount." However, lawyers acting on behalf of the tax authorities "pleaded for the player also to be tried." In "any case, both are unlikely to end up in jail as sentences of less than two years are normally suspended" for first-time offenses in Spain (AFP, 10/8). REUTERS' Iain Rogers reported the court had "previously ruled that Messi could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes on income from image rights." Revenue had been hidden using companies in Uruguay, Belize, Switzerland and the U.K., according to the prosecutor's office. Messi and his father paid €5M ($5.6M) to the tax authorities as a "corrective payment" after they were formally charged in June '13 (REUTERS, 10/8).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/10/09/Finance/Messi.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/10/09/Finance/Messi.aspx

CLOSE