'We pay our taxes!' - Barca's #WeAreAllLeoMessi campaign backfires


The Catalan side launched the hashtag to gather support for the Argentine in the wake of his conviction, but fans on Twitter have used it to criticise the player and the club
EXTRA TIME
When Barcelona launched their hashtag campaign to gather support for Lionel Messi in the wake of his conviction for tax fraud, they must have expected fans across the globe would get behind the best player on the planet.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was sentenced to 21 months in jail, alongside his father, while the forward has been fined €2 million, after they were found guilty of defrauding Spain's tax authority of €4.1m between 2007 and 2009.
Barca launched the #WeAreAllLeoMessi campaign on Twitter to generate support from the club's fans across the world , but the initiative to get people to give their backing to a multi-millionaire convicted of dodging taxes has backfired - who would have guessed?
#WeAreAllLeoMessi No we're not! Pay your taxes and have some dignity!! #WeAreNotLeoMessi
10:57 PM - 9 Jul 2016
17 11
Ralph
@RalphTheWiseguy
#WeAreAllLeoMessi is the worst campaign in years. Why would you support tax fraud?
10:57 PM - 9 Jul 2016
21 19
Alex Verhaar
@alex_verhaar
@FCBarcelona Have the lunatics taken over your Twitter account, #
WeAreAllLeoMessi "Please support our convicted tax evading employee" Clowns
10:59 PM - 9 Jul 2016
12 7
Shano
@SparkyPaw
When bananas were expensive, I put them through the self serve as carrots.
We're all criminals #
WeAreAllLeoMessi
10:56 PM - 9 Jul 2016
9 11
Sharpy
@j0sharp
#WeAreAllLeoMessi hashtag is the biggest calculated mistake since Messi's tax return
10:59 PM - 9 Jul 2016
23 12
Ed DeCesare
@EdDeCesare
one time I stole a ten quid from by brother when he left his wallet in the room #WeAreAllLeoMessi
10:52 PM - 9 Jul 2016
8 6
TwatBrigade
@TwatterTheBerry
Because I too have Zero world cups and don't pay taxes... oh wait. But I live in a tax free country. #
WeAreAllLeoMessi
10:52 PM - 9 Jul 2016
13 5
Sid Thor
@SidThor
Seriously, the hashtag #
WeAreAllLeoMessi is so stupid. "We are all Leo Messi" = we are all criminals who don't pay our taxes?
10:50 PM - 9 Jul 2016
24 25
Marcus Karoumi
@MKaroumi
#WeAreAllLeoMessi the worst PR stunt by a football club since Liverpool came up with this beaut....
10:27 PM - 9 Jul 2016
46 45
Walter Smith
@mancitysmith
I, too, earn an absurd amount of millions and yet felt compelled to defraud the country who gave me my livelihood. #WeAreAllLeoMessi
5:47 PM - 9 Jul 2016 · Montréal, Québec, Canada
61 57
Milanista Esq.
@LaDiavolina
Quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. And I'm living through #Brexit . #
WeAreAllLeoMessi twitter.com/fcbarcelona/st…
11:07 PM - 9 Jul 2016
6 9
Zoë
@ZoeMarkham
CUZ PAYING TAXES IS SOOOOO OVERRATED #WeAreAllLeoMessi
#WorstHashtagEverConceived
11:07 PM - 9 Jul 2016
6 2
Reilly Weaver
@ReillyWeaver
#WeAreAllLeoMessi I too have spectacularly missed penalty kicks...
11:06 PM - 9 Jul 2016
10 2
pacciareddhra
@LaRondinella_89
The world's second best player, but number one in terms of catastrophic PR balls-up.
#WeAreAllLeoMessi
11:04 PM - 9 Jul 2016
13 2
Darren
@DarrenMWinter
I once babysat for my neighbours and they gave me £15. I didn't pay tax. #
WeAreAllLeoMessi

Lol...

It's true, why support a tax fraud? He should count himself lucky for not going to proper jail