Messi Exits Atletico Madrid Clash With Injury

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi exited Wednesday’s clash against Atletico Madrid with an injury.

being challenged lightly from Atletico’s Diego Godin, Messi pulled up slow and then went to the ground before being taken off.

 

Messi picked up a groin injury while playing for Barcelona earlier this season and reinjured it against Uruguay in World Cup Qualifying in early September, causing him to miss the team’s next game against Venezuela just days after.

 

It’s possible he may have re-aggravated the injury, but we’ll have to wait and see what the team says after the match.

 

The match subsequently ended in 1-1 .

Messi Exits Atletico Madrid Clash With Injury

Messi Set To Miss Copa America Opener

Lionel Messi is set to fly today to join his teammates in San Francisco following his trial in Spain and will be arriving on Saturday morning. That’s good news but here’s another one which is less pleasant.
 

Lionel Messi seated in court as he’s charged with tax evasion

He might not start in the opening match against Chile. Partly because maybe there is some significant truth about his injury which was reported recently on La Nacion.

 

Should MESSI sit out for this one, Nicolas GAITAN will be brought in as his replacement. In fact, Nico has been deputizing MESSI over the last few training sessions.

As of now, the possible starting line-up chosen Tata MARTINO against Chile will be….

Sergio ROMERO; Marcos ROJO, Ramiro FUNES MORI, Nicolas OTAMENDI, Gabriel MERCADO; Ever BANEGA, Javier MASCHERANO, Augusto FERNANDEZ; Angel DI MARIA, Gonzalo HIGUAIN and Nicolas GAITAN

 

Messi Set To Miss Copa America Opener

Lionel Messi Tax Fraud Trial Opens In Spain

The trial of Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi on tax fraud charges has begun in Spain.

Messi and his father Jorge, who manages his financial affairs, are accused of defrauding Spain of more than €4m (£3m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.

The authorities allege that the two used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.

The Spanish tax agency is demanding heavy fines and prison sentences. They deny any wrongdoing.

The trial is expected to last for three days, with Messi appearing in court on Thursday.

The income related to Messi’s image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi’s lawyers had argued that the player had “never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing” the contracts.

But the high court in Barcelona ruled in June 2015 that the football star should not be granted immunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances, which were being managed in part by his father.

Messi and his father made a voluntary €5m (£3.8m, $5.6m) “corrective payment” – equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest – in August 2013.

Messi is the five-time World Player of the Year and one of the richest athletes in the world.

BBC

Lionel Messi Tax Fraud Trial Opens In Spain

Barcelona Stay Top After Overcoming Real Betis (Highlights)

Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga on Saturday evening, securing three points with a 2-0 win over Real Betis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h6kU0Ea58g

Betis were reduced to 10 men towards the end of the first half, but they put up a tough defence, and it was only a calamitous error which allowed Ivan Rakitic an easy finish to send Barca ahead.

A lovely ball into the penalty area from Lionel Messi caused confusion, as goalkeeper Antonio Adan came charging out to punch it, while centre-back German Pezzella attempted an overhead kick clearance.

Atletico Madrid are joint top with Barcelona after a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano ,with Real Madrid also beating Real Sociedad by a goal to nil to stay third

Barcelona Stay Top After Overcoming Real Betis (Highlights)

Barcelona Star Player In Serious Trouble

Lionel Messi was named last week in the Panama Papers for being involved in setting up a shell Corporation.

The fife-time Ballon d’Or winner sees his club FC Barcelona joint top with Atletico Madrid on La Liga standings, with five games to end the season.

But outside the comforts of the soccer pitch, one of the world’s most famous athletes is fighting off two financial scandals that could see him land behind bars.

This happened in the heat of an ongoing tax-evasion court case in Spain that could put him in prison for 22 months.

So far, his sponsorship deals and global image have not been affected and Messi appears unlikely to suffer a major hit to his multi million-dollar brand as long as he can stay out of prison.

Adidas, perhaps the most visible company attached to Messi in that they make his signature cleat and rely on him as a valuable asset to counter Nike’s Ronaldo, said they were aware of Messi’s situation, but did not add much.

“Adidas is aware of the on going situation regarding the Panama Papers. However, anything to do with an individual’s financial affairs is solely a matter for them and their management,” a spokesman said in a statement to International Business Times.

Messi is very popular, and represents the gold standard as an athlete partner, sports branding, experts said.

Barcelona Star Player In Serious Trouble

Egyptian Parliamentarian Furious With Messi Over Boots Saga

Lionel Messi made what he thought was a kind gesture in donating a pair of his boots to a charity but some prominent figures in Egyptian politics have considered the gift as very insulting.

In Egypt and other Arab countries shoes are sometimes used as a symbol of disrespect, hence the uproar.

“We [Egyptians] have never been humiliated during our 700 of civilization; I will hit you with the shoes, Messi,” Egyptian Parliament member Said Hasasin said as he took off his shoe and held it up live on air during his TV show.

The other Egyptian Football Association official Azmy Megahed added to it by making his feelings clear on the same show, named ‘Infirad’, on Al-Asimah TV.

“Our poor don’t need him. Work shoes for him,” Megahed said, according to the report.

“I am confused, if he intends to humiliate us, then I say he better put these shoes on his head and on the heads of the people supporting him.

 

 

Egyptian Parliamentarian Furious With Messi Over Boots Saga