Report: Lionel Messi to face trial in €4.1m tax fraud case

An appeal to avoid trial by Messi’s lawyers in the tax fraud case was turned down by a Barcelona court

Barcelona star Lionel Messi will face trial in the alleged tax fraud case after the appeal by his lawyers to avoid a trial was turned down by a Barcelona court. The Barcelona Provinvial High Court feels that evidence is there which suggests that the Argentine 'benefitted' through a 'network of companies' which defrauded the Spanish Tax Agency.

Whether or not Lionel Messi had knowledge about the network or about the structures is unknown. The amount which is cited is 4.1 million of income tax.

The decision by the court was made on Wednesday which would mean that Messi along with his father Jorge Horacio Messi would continue to be under investigation. The investigation will be made on three counts for the alleged tax fraud which was committed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 which were tax years.

It is alleged that when Messi was still a minor, Messi senior had created a network of companies. This is said to have been used for simulating and for handover of Messi's image rights.

This in turn allowed a reduction in the tax payments for the advertising contracts which Messi had worth million of dollars .