Take one look at your average footballer and a few things become clear – tattoos are in, acting like an adult is out and they should not be trusted with handling their own finances.

That’s certainly true of Lionel Messi, who just got hit with a 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud.

This from the BBC:

His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.

They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay used to conceal earnings from image rights.

However, they are likely to avoid jail.

Under the Spanish system, prison terms under two years can be served under probation.

The footballer and his father were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud in Wednesday’s ruling by the court in Barcelona.

During the trial, Lionel Messi claimed he “knew nothing” about the management of his financial affairs, saying he was “playing football”.

I’m prone to believe him on that last bit – who has time to handle their finances when they’re the best footballer to ever walk the planet?

Silly Leo, should’ve used someone reputable, like THESE CHAPS, and he could have avoided all that nonsense.

[source:bbc]