I knew nothing- Messi tells court in tax evasion case

Barcelona star Lionel Messi says he had no knowledge of his financial affairs and was only concerned with playing football, as his trial for alleged tax evasion continued on Thursday.

The 28-year-old and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding the Spanish government of 4.1 million euros between 2007 and 2009.

Both men deny any wrongdoing.

“No, to be honest I didn’t know anything. As my father said before, all I knew about was playing football. I trusted my dad and my lawyers, and I had no idea about anything,” he told the State Prosecutor.

Messi said he never suspected any wrongdoing when asked to sign contracts by his father, with both men denying the charges.

The two could face jail terms of up to 22 months if found guilty, although it is common in the country that offenders of non-violent crimes with a sentence of under two years do not serve time in prison.

The five-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner – who was both cheered and heckled by a crowd outside the Barcelona court – has been forced to miss some of Argentina’s preparations for the 2016 Copa America which gets under way on Friday.