Court Hand Messi 21 Months Prison Sentence Over Tax Fraud

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has been handed a 21-month
prison sentence for tax fraud but is unlikely to serve time
in prison.

Any sentence under two years can be suspended under
Spanish law, meaning Messi is expected to avoid spending
a day behind bars, according to widespread reports.
Messi was tried alongside his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, for
deceiving Spain's tax authority of €4.1 million (£3.19m)
between 2007 and 2009.
The forward, who recently announced his retirement from
the Argentina national team, has also been fined six
weeks' wages worth £1.7 million.
The 29-year-old was accused of creating a number of fake
companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid taxation on his
lucrative image rights.
Messi claimed he never did anything wrong based on
his financial affairs, but a court has found both he and his
father guilty.
Jorge has also been given the same sentence and both
can appeal through the Supreme Court.