Barcelona star striker Lionel Messi may be a world famous footballer but is an offender under Spanish laws as he has been handed a 21 months jail sentence for tax frauds in that country. Messi may escape jail term by paying a huge fine as Spanish laws have that cushion if the sentencing is less than two years but sportsmen who have scant respect for laws are bad sporting icons for their fans and followers. We treat sporting icons and celebrities as ‘Demi-gods’ in our country and go ‘ga ga’ over their popularity but high time we take a leaf out of this Spanish judgement as laws should be equal for all and must be respected by every citizen irrespective of their status and power. Sportsmen and other celebrities too should not be greedy and pay their tax dues and set a good example for others to follow. Lionel Messi one thought knew this judgement was coming as he retired from international football last week which shocked the globe as he is only 29 years old. Messi’s life seems messed up at the moment but he can still make amends by paying the fine and returning back to international football and mesmerizing fans with his brilliant skills on the sporting arena!
S.N. Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
