A Barcelona court rejected an appeal by Lionel Messi in his tax fraud case on Wednesday, and the soccer star now has to stand trial.
Messi and his father/agent, Jorge Horacio Messi, are accused of having defrauded Spanish authorities of more than $4.5 million between 2007 and 2009, according to The Guardian. Allegedly, the soccer player's father sold his son's rights to companies in Belize and Uruguay in order to not have to pay taxes in Spain.
The Messi's have already paid authorities $5 million, voluntarily, as reparations to the Spanish government and to try and move the case along.
Back in October, Jorge Horacio Messi said on a Spanish radio station that he was the sole person behind the tax fraud.
"I have always said it, he had absolutely nothing to do with it, so there is no need to talk about it," he said. "My lawyers are dealing with this issue so it's something with me and has nothing to do with him."
Spain's public prosecutors also believe the father was the main person at fault in the case. The decision cannot be appealed, but there are other ways the FC Barcelona star can avoid standing trial, The Guardian reports :
"It is still possible an out-of-court settlement may be reached, but it could be complicated by the state attorney's insistence on pushing forward with the accusations. Spain's public prosecutor has recommended the charges be dismissed, arguing Messi's father was solely responsible for the family's finances."
The defense has constantly denied the soccer star's involvement in the tax fraud, saying he "never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analyzing" the contracts.
