Messi accused of €4m tax fraud

                        

Spanish prosecutor through the media," Rosario-born Messi, who has been resident in Barcelona since 2000 and gained Spanish citizenship in 2005, wrote in a statement on his official Facebook page.

"It is something that surprises us because we have never committed any offence," the statement added.

"We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation."

Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father have denied wrongdoing after the Spanish tax authorities accused them of defrauding the state of more than four million euros (£3.4m)