BREAKING NEWS: Messi Tax Evasion Appeal Refused

The Barcelona forward is now due to stand trial on accusations he defrauded authorities

Lionel Messi's appeal against allegations
 of tax evasion has been thrown out by a Barcelona court and the Argentina star will now stand trial.

The Blaugrana forward and his father and agent, Jorge Messi, are accused of defrauding authorities over a tax amount totalling €4.1 million between 2006 and 2009.
It is alleged that Messi's image rights were sold by Jorge - who assumed full responsibility when the case began - using companies in countries like Belize and Uruguay to avoid Spanish tax obligations.
A judge at a court in Gava, near Barcelona, determined in October 2014 that the 27-year-old would have to face trial over the allegations, despite his pleas that he was neither guilty nor fully aware of the suggested impropriety.