MADRID (AP) – Lionel Messi’s lawyer said the Argentina star and his father were both feeling calm and ready to counter the charges against them as their tax fraud trial opened on Tuesday in a Barcelona court.
Messi has had to leave Argentina’s preparations for the Copa America in the United States to defend himself from accusations that he failed to properly pay taxes for part of his earnings received from the Spanish club.
Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, have been charged with three counts of tax fraud and could be sentenced to nearly two years in prison if found guilty of defrauding Spain’s tax office of 4.1 million euros ($4.5 million) from 2007-09.
They have denied any wrongdoing, and even if found guilty, are unlikely to face any jail time.
Absent on Tuesday, the Argentina playmaker is not obliged to show up until Thursday, when he will testify before a judge. A verdict and any sentencing are not expected until next week.