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Barcelona superstar Messi's prison sentence swapped for fine

The Argentina international's 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud is to be swapped with a fine reported to be €255,000

Spain's public prosecutor has agreed to substitute Lionel Messi's suspended 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud with a fine.

The Barcelona superstar was given the jail term last July after being found guilty - alongside his father Jorge - of three counts of tax fraud.

It was ruled that Messi, between 2007 and 2009, defrauded Spain of €4.1million relating to earnings from image rights.

HD Lionel Messi court
An appeal against the sentence was rejected by the Spanish Supreme Court in May.