FC Barcelona have backed Lionel Messi after he was named in the Panama Papers report.

Sport EN

Along with world leaders, celebrities and other people in the sporting world, Messi has been named in reports by a selection of international media, all of whom received and are still working through 11.5 million files known as the Panama Papers.

The Barcelona forward and his father are accused of ‘setting up a tax fraud network’ using the Panama company Mega Stat Enterprises, something which they have released a statement denying and threatening legal action.

It has also led to a response from Barcelona:

“Following the claims that place Leo Messi at the creation of a corporate structure with the supposed intention of committing tax fraud, FC Barcelona states that:

“1.- The club supports the arguments which the Messi family published in a statement today.

“2.- Since the very first moment that the ‘Panama Papers’ which accuse Leo Messi were released, FC Barcelona has sent its affection and support to the player and to his whole family. The Club makes all of its judicial means, fiscal and administrative, at the family’s disposal in order to make his actions and honour clear in this case.”

In a separate case, Messi and his father are due to go on trial in late May for allegedly defrauding Spain’s tax office of 4.1 million euros between 2007 and 2009.