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Following rumours that and his father cheated the Spanish state for over €4 million in taxes, the Barcelona club has come in support of their star by saying that they do not doubt his innocence in the issue.
On June 12, the Spanish media reported that the tax authorities in Barcelona were building up a case against Messi and his father defrauding the government by evading tax payments in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Immediately after this, Messi issued a statement on his official Facebook page denying the allegations while his father Jorge Messi said: “This is all a mistake. It should have been spoken about with the accountants and legal people, who will clear it up.”
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, came to the player’s aid, saying: “Messi’s family is calm. They have all of our support. I do not doubt their innocence.”
He also used the opportunity to defend Barcelona’s conduct towards defender Eric Abidal who left following six seasons with the club. The issue at hand was that upon Abidal’s return to the club after recovery from a liver transplant, he was not offered an extension with the expiry of his contract.
“We have treated him like a footballer, not someone who is ill, because that’s what he asked of us,” Rosell said.
Source: ESPN FC
