Quote:Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi and his father are being investigated in Spain for allegedly defrauding the state of more than 4m euros (£3.4m).

The 25-year-old Argentina forward and his father, Jorge Horacio, are suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns for 2007-09, officials say.

The World Player of the Year expressed his surprise, denying the allegation.

His Barcelona net salary is said to be some 16m euros a year, making him one of the world's highest-paid athletes.

He has also signed a number of multimillion-dollar endorsements with major sponsors around the globe.

On Wednesday, a complaint signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado was filed at the courthouse in Gava - the affluent Barcelona district where Messi lives.

Judges at the courthouse must accept the complaint before the suspects can be charged, reports say.

In financial terms, 4m euros in the world of Lionel Messi is not a huge amount. According to Forbes, the Barcelona star currently earns more than 15m euros a year from his salary and prize money.

When you add in his earnings from sponsorship and the rights to his image, Forbes puts his total annual net income at more than 31m euros.

Messi is worshipped by Argentina and Barcelona football fans and admired all over the world for his ability on the pitch, and his humility off it. However the allegation the footballer and his father failed to declare millions of euros of income - while people in Spain, in general, pay more tax and often earn less, or don't have a job at all because of the economic crisis - is making headlines all over the Spanish media.

Messi and his father deny any wrongdoing, he still hasn't been charged and it could be a while until we know whether he will be because the legal system in Spain is notoriously slow moving. But despite all that, the scandal raises difficult questions, and the image of Lionel Messi could be damaged.

The player and his father are accused of three crimes of defrauding the state of taxes related to income from the use of his image.

They are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use the image.

The accusation is that with the help of firms based outside Spain, where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax.

If convicted, Messi could face up to six years in prison and a large fine, according to Spain's EFE news agency.

Responding to the allegations, Messi expressed his surprise, saying he had only learned about the investigation against him through the media.

He wrote on his Facebook page: "We have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advices of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation."

Argentina's media also appeared puzzled by Wednesday's development, with the Clarin newspaper describing it as "unexpected news".

Barcelona FC have not commented on the allegations.

The investigation comes as the Spanish authorities step up their efforts to clamp down on tax fraud, as the government tries to balance its budget during a continuing economic crisis, the BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid reports.

Quote:The Football Association has confirmed details for this year's Community Shield, with the fixture returning to Wembley.

Last season's curtain-raiser, won by Manchester City, was moved to Villa Park due to the London Olympics.

But this summer's clash between Premier League champions Manchester United and FA Cup winners Wigan is back at its traditional home with a 2pm kick-off on Sunday, 11 August.

The fixture will see David Moyes take charge of his first competitive match as United boss, while Roberto Martinez's as yet unnamed successor will lead the relegated Latics for the first time.

"You have to go all the way back to 1985 for the last time that Manchester United played in this fixture without Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline so the eyes of the world will be on the Community Shield and Wembley when David Moyes leads them out in August," said the FA's general secretary, Alex Horne.

"Wigan Athletic provided a fairytale ending to this season's FA Cup Final, which was fitting in our 150th anniversary year, and it will be great to welcome them back to Wembley as they take on the double challenge of Europa League football and the Championship."

United have been allocated 35,000 tickets - priced between £20 and £45 -while Wigan have been given 15,000.

"Manchester United travel in great numbers while Wigan Athletic's allocation is based on the attendances across their two visits to Wembley in The FA Cup last season," Horne added.

"The 2pm kick-off time has been agreed by all the relevant authorities and means that both sets of supporters can travel back to the North West."

My name is Shloka and I am from India. I love football and the manhchester united team in particular. Hope to talk to you guys around!

Good day, Red Devils!

I have some news for you. This time, it's all about our new manager, David Moyes. Before I continue, I would like to apologize for not being active anymore. I started college yesterday and it's taking a lot of my time. Nevertheless, I will still try my best to remain active.

Anyway, here is the source. I will be quoting the essential parts of the article.

Quote:David Moyes has outlined his blueprint for success at Manchester United - and admitted his first task is to earn the respect and trust of his new squad.

Quote:In a speech in New York to an exclusive audience of 300 top coaches and sporting directors from all over the world, Moyes revealed the managerial principles that he believes can sustain Ferguson's success at United.

Quote:As well as admitting he must win over the squad he has inherited from Ferguson, Moyes insisted he will accept nothing less than total commitment, seven days a week, from those who work for him.

Quote:The 50-year-old former Everton boss told his new players they must be self-disciplined and admitted his United reign, like those of managers at every club, could ultimately be determined by the players he buys and sells.

The 2013-14 kit will be revealed today (Wednesday)

There have been plenty of changes already at Manchester United this summer and on Wednesday 5 June, at 12:30 BST, the club will reveal images of the new 2013/14 Nike home kit. The kit will then be available to purchase the following day, Thursday 6 June.

It’s the shirt United’s players will wear as defending champions.

There have been some leaked images on the web:-





We will see later today.