Lionel Messi guilty: This is why the Barcelona star will not spend a day behind bars

LIONEL MESSI will spend precisely ZERO days behind bars - despite being sentenced to 21 months for tax evasion.

The Argentine superstar, 29, and his father were found guilty of tax fraud and were handed a suspended sentence.

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Lionel and dad Jorge defrauded Spain of around £3.5million pounds in a two year span between 2007 and 2009 - with the Barca ace claiming he 'knew nothing' as he was too busy 'playing football'.

Having been found guilty - after prosecutors claimed they used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights - they were given a 21 month suspended sentence on Wednesday.

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Spanish law states that a prison sentence of two years or less can be served under probation rather than behind bars, meaning both Messi and his father will not need to go to prison.

It serves as little more than a slap on the wrists.