Lionel Messi and his father Jorge have been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Barcelona found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud.
The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, a statement from
the court said. It is unlikely Messi or his father will not serve a stretch behind bars, however. Under Spanish law, a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation if you have no prior criminal record. The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros (£1.7million) and
his father to pay 1.5 million euros (£1.3million).
The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, a statement from
the court said. It is unlikely Messi or his father will not serve a stretch behind bars, however. Under Spanish law, a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation if you have no prior criminal record. The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros (£1.7million) and
his father to pay 1.5 million euros (£1.3million).
