Lionel Messi fights against bid to put him in jail with statement against court action

The company that manages the rights of Leo Messi issued a statement to hit back against the Argentine being accused of tax fraud and having to go to a trial.

Barcelona also say they will defend the star and help him any way then can, with a statement you can read below.

Leo Messi Management explains that "the prosecution office did not accuse the Argentine of any tax offenses, but rather extensively explained the reasons why he shouldn't be charged." It expresses "the State Bar contradicts the request and the criterion of the prosecution office".

Finally, Leo Messi Management says that "in the coming weeks before the trial, the defense lawyers for Leo Messi will have the opportunity to present their arguments, and the evidence it deems appropriate, to confirm that the position of the Public Prosecutor not to charge Messi is the correct one".

Messi, who will stand trial in the Barcelona district of Vilanova i la Geltru, will appear alongside his father despite the court archiving the case against the footballer because they decided he had no knowledge of the fraud perpetrated by his father.

The state court is asking for a prison sentence of 22 months for Messi.

The judge is sending Messi to court because the state lawyer has maintained his accusation against the Argentine star, as he considers that, contrary to the opinion of the prosecutor, he was indeed a “co author” of the three crimes that his father committed against the tax authority, defrauding it on 4.1 million euros.

Just a few days ago, the Prosecutor of Barcelona decided to archive the case and drop the charges against the Barça forward relating to fiscal fraud concerning the handling of his image rights. That was good news for Messi, who two years ago was accused — alongside his father — of fraud in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

However, as expected, the State Lawyer has maintained its stance on the matter, and Messi will not be able to avoid going to court.