Messi to face trial over alleged tax fraud

Barcelona and Argentina footballer Lionel Messi will face trial for tax evasion after a Spanish high court rejected his latest appeal.

The provincial high court in Barcelona said it believed there was evidence that Messi - whether knowingly or not - benefited from a complex network of companies that kept three million pounds from Spanish tax authorities between 2007 and 2009, the Guardian reported

The court ruled that Messi should not be granted impunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances.

Both Messi and his father Jorge Messi have denied any wrongdoing. Last year, Jorge Messi told Spanish radio that his son had no knowledge of any such scheme.

He said that his lawyers were dealing with this issue so it was something with him and has nothing to do with his son.

The court stressed it was not in the position to decide whether Messi was aware of the fraud or not.

Messi's defence put forward the argument saying that the player had 'never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing' the contracts.