Lionel Messi and His Father Sentenced To 21 Months In Jail

After the huge blow faced in the final shoot out of the recently concluded Copa America, Lionel Messi has yet again faced a setback in his career as he has been sentenced to twenty-one months of imprisonment following Spanish Court order on July 06, 2016.

The court found him guilty of tax fraud, but he will not go to prison, as the sentence can be served under probation. Jorge, father of the living legend has also been sentenced with the same punishment, as he is also convicted in these cases.

The court has also asked Messi and his dad to pay 2 million and 1.6 million Euros respectively.

The statement issued by the judiciary panel during the verdict stated that this sentence could be appealed through the Supreme Court of Spain.

Spanish law gives special privilege for convicts who get punishment under two years. These people can serve it on probation, and it means that Lionel and his father will not spend time in the jail.

Messi has appeared in the Spanish Court in early June, and has conveyed his innocence in these cases. During the trial, the footballer told that he knows nothing other than playing, and he used to sign advertisement contracts without reading the clauses.

The Argentinian striker is now playing for Barcelona in the Spanish League, and as of now, he has won four League titles and eight La Liga titles for his club.

Last week, he pulled his fans to a state of shock, as the star announced his retirement from International Football after losing the final match of Copa America against Chile.