The case against Lionel Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, for tax evasion took another turn on Friday as the judge denied an appeal from the Barcelona forward.
It sets the stage for a court trial.
According to BBC News, Spain’s public prosecutor argued in June that Messi’s father was responsible for the family’s finances and not the four-time World Player of the Year.
A court in Barcelona decided, however, that Messi could have known about and approved the creation of companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights. But the appeal against that decision has been rejected.
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Messi and his father have been accused of defrauding the Spanish state of more than £3.1m. They have denied wrongdoing and have five days to appeal the ruling.
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