Lionel Messi's Dad Discusses Tax Case, Injuries, Luis Suarez and More

Jorge Messi, the outspoken father of Barcelona superstar Lionel, insists his son had no part to play in the alleged €4 million tax scandal which has seen both end up in Spanish court.

As revealed by Spanish station CADENA Cope, reported by Reuters and via The Guardian, Jorge is keen to ensure his son doesn't receive unfair criticism over a situation he claims the Argentinian No. 10 had no part in.

Both have been accused of defrauding the Spanish state of more than €4 million by filing incomplete tax returns between 2007-09, but Jorge is keen to dispel any suggestion Leo was involved, per The Guardian:

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In actual fact I want to be quite cautious over this (topic). I have always said it, he (Lionel) had absolutely nothing to do with it, so there is no need to talk about it. My lawyers are dealing with this issue so it’s something with me and has nothing to do with him.

"

Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

The Messis continue to work through the case brought on by prosecutors in the nearby municipality of Gava. Back in June, a request was made for charges against Lionel to be dropped, after it was determined his involvement was non-existent.

Prosecutor Raquel Amado released a statement saying he "did not participate," but the Judge dismissed these clams and insisted Lionel "could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights," reported by Reuters and via Yahoo.

As the investigation continues, Jorge suggests it is unfair to criticise his son. Lionel has reached a consistently impressive level of performance for perhaps the first time since these chargers were brought about, so it's easy to see why the troubled dad is looking to calm the allegedly unnecessary focus on his son.

Jen Evelyn of Inside Spanish Football posted the rest of the widespread interview Jorge gave to CADENA Copa's El Partido de las 12 programme. He detailed "almost two years that weren’t normal (for Leo) due to the injuries" and suggested these fitness problems "were what affected him the most."

Jorge believes his son will "continue to evolve" and "advance" however, a frightening prospect considering the player has scored seven and assisted seven in nine appearances across La Liga and the Champions League this season, per WhoScored.com.

He also suggests that Luis Suarez's arrival in Barcelona "makes the team stronger and makes everyone think about collaborating a bit more," per Evelyn. This is an interesting point, as many consider how Messi, Neymar and Suarez are going to work alongside each other.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Both Neymar and Suarez have a tendency to float out wide when receiving the ball, so it's likely they will provide Luis Enrique's side with natural width. Messi remains through the centre in a free role which allows him to either push on or drop off when needed.

Key to his movement is finding pockets of space which allow the 27-year-old to distribute wide before heading into the box. Neymar and Suarez will likely interchange flanks to keep the opposition guessing, with the latter adding more obvious supply by moving toward the area. All three possess incredible dribbling and finishing skills, meaning the trident could thrust Barcelona back into the realm of trophies.

Football Funnys noted the evolution of Messi, who made his Blaugrana debut 10 years ago on Thursday:

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10 years of Lionel Messi pic.twitter.com/dPcQ1mURNx

— Football Funnys (@FootballFunnys) October 16, 2014"

There's no doubt the impending court case, injuries and the pressure to perform have affected Messi at points over the last couple of seasons, but he looks to be heading back toward his best. Suarez's likely debut in El Clasico on Oct. 25 should only improve a player whose decade-long influence over the sport is set to continue.

Jorge's summary of events allows his son to continue working without needing to take the media spotlight. Leo isn't the most outspoken of characters and prefers to create headlines through football rather than comments, a factor which has seen him overcome adversity to rediscover significant form since the end of last season.