Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain laments powerless Barca

Spain lamented Thursday the comprehensive destruction of a powerless Barcelona by Bayern Munich, warning the Catalans must rebuild after their Champions League dreams were shattered in the Camp Nou.

Injured Lionel Messi's absence exposed the weaknesses of Barcelona against the German club, which won Wednesday's second leg 3-0 to deliver a humiliating 7-0 aggregate semi-final victory over the team so often touted as the greatest in the world.

"Without God there is no miracle," blared the front page headline of Barcelona-based daily Sport, above a photo of a worried Messi sitting on the bench, after Bayern tore to pieces any hopes of a dream comeback.

Coach Tito Vilanova, frequently absent as he is treated for cancer of the salivary gland, was left without ammunition, Sport said. "Tito could not find the means to create a game without Messi and did not take the slightest risk to attempt the miracle."

Arjen Robben opened the scoring for the visitors with a trademark left-foot strike just after half-time before a Gerard Pique own-goal and Thomas Mueller's header in the final 20 minutes ensured Bayern booked their place in an all-German final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25.

"A great Bayern," conceded fellow Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo. "The Germans rolled over a broken Barca," it said. "Robben's goal put an end to even the faintest hope of a comeback."

The paper said Barcelona had been transformed into a "broken toy" in the hands of Bayern.

Madrid-based daily As said Barcelona were "grey, toothless, lifeless,with no soul".

"They came on to the pitch like a flock of sheep on the way to the slaughterhouse," the paper said.

Barcelona seemed to be at the end of an era, As commentator Santi Gimenez said.

"Barcelona has come to the end of a glorious road. It has lived the greatest epoch of of its history. If this is not the end of a cycle, it feels a lot like it," he said. Barcelona will still win the Liga this season with a nearly unassailable points lead, it will still win titles and its style of play should remain, Gimenez wrote.

"But if yesterday was a casting to find out who in the team is worthy of the future, then the moving vans will be at work in Barcelona. No-one asked Barcelona to stage a comeback after their heavy defeat in Munich, but they did expect pride. And that was conspicuous by its absence."

"The sinking", ran the headline in Marca, Spain's top-selling sports daily.

The paper recalled that Munich had suffered a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in April 2009 but had rebuilt, urging Barcelona and Real Madrid -- both knocked out in these semifinals -- to learn the same lesson.

"Barca, Madrid and Spanish football must look in the German mirror, which has rebuilt from crushing defeat. Especially Barcelona, which is so shockingly vulnerable without Messi," Marca said.