Spanish prosecutors want Lionel Messi's dad arrested for tax fraud

Barcelona prosecutors are calling for the arrest of footballer Lionel Messi’s father in a tax fraud case.

Prosecutors have cleared Messi of wrongdoing but are seeking an 18-month prison sentence for his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, for allegedly defrauding Spain’s tax office of €4m in unpaid taxes from 2007-09.

The decision is considered a win for Lionel Messi, who had also been mentioned in the investigation.

A Spanish judge had recently rejected an appeal filed by the player’s lawyers to drop the Barcelona star from the case.

In the documents made public today, prosecutors also called for a fine of €2m for the father of the Argentina playmaker.