A Spanish court said Friday it had replaced Barcelona star Lionel Messi’s prison sentences for tax fraud with fines.

The Argentine, one of the world’s best-paid players, and his father had been convicted of hiding image rights royalties in offshore accounts and had been given jail terms of 21 and 15 months respectively.

Following the ruling by Barcelona’s provincial court, Messi will instead pay 252,000 euros ($287,000) and his father 180,000 euros in fines.

READ MORE: http://www.newsbook.ng/2017/07/07/messi-tax-fraud-sentence-reduced-to-fine/