In an interview with Spanish newspaper ‘Sport’, Lionel Messi spoke about his tax problems in Spain, arguing that it was a deliberate attempt to damage his public image.
Messi joined the likes of Xabi Alonso and Cristiano Ronaldo as players who have fallen foul of tax evasion court battles in Spain, one in which the Argentine was found guilty.
However, the 30-year-old believes it was a deliberate attempt to weaken his public image and one that originated from the Spanish capital.
He said: “There was an order from Madrid to attack me, beat me and take advantage of a moment of weakness. It was very hard to live through that”