BARCELONA // Argentina football star Lionel Messi said Thursday he trusted his father with his finances and “knew nothing” about how his wealth was managed as he took the stand at his tax fraud trial.
“I was playing football. I had no idea about anything,” the five-time World Player of the Year told the Barcelona court hearing the case.
"I trusted my dad and my lawyers," said the 28-year-old Barcelona forward, who wore a black suit and tie, added on the third day of the trial.
Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on €4.16 million (Dh17.1m) of Messi’s income earned through the sale of his image rights from 2007-09.
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The income related to Messi’s image rights that was allegedly hidden and includes endorsement deals with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.
“All I knew was that we signed agreements with certain sponsors, for ‘X’ amount of money and that I had to do adverts, photos and those things but about the money and where it went I knew nothing,” Messi told the court.
Messi and his defence team have long argued that Messi’s father handled the footballer’s finances without reporting to him, and the striker was not aware of any wrongdoing.
Messi’s former tax advisers told the court on Wednesday the football star never handed his own wealth management.
Both Messi and his father, who has managed his son’s affairs since he was a child, have been charged with three counts of tax fraud.
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a jail sentence of 22-and-a-half months for them if they are found guilty, plus fines equivalent to the amount that was allegedly defrauded.
But any such sentence would likely be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences carrying a sentence of less than two years.
Messi and his father made a voluntary payment of €5m – equal to the amount of the alleged unpaid taxes plus interest – in August 2013 after being formally investigated, which is expected to mitigate any sentence if they are found guilty.
Dozens of photographers and onlookers crowded behind metal barriers and a line of police that guarded the entrance of the court to catch a glimpse of the player for the hearing.
Most applauded but some jeered and criticised the player.
“If he cheated, he has to be sentenced no matter how much of an idol and Ballon d’Or winner he is. These are €4 million less to pay for hospitals, schools, firefighters, roads,” Jose Seco de Herrero, 25, told Agence France-Presse.
“Thief!,” yelled out one onlooker. “Go play in Panama,” cried out another.
The tax fraud trial comes at a time of simmering voter anger over steep government cuts to health and social spending, as the government struggles to bring Spain’s public deficit down.
“On the pitch he is the best, but if they have to try him and sentence him they should do it, even if he is a footballer and is known around the world,” said Eric Irias, 25, who came to the court wearing a Barcelona jersey which he bought on Wednesday.
After his court appearance in Barcelona, Messi will jet off to the United States where Argentina take on Copa America defending champions Chile in their first game of the three-week tournament in California on Monday.
The trial will wrap up on Friday with closing arguments from lawyers from both sides.
No date was set for when the court will issue its ruling.
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