MADRID: Leo Messi and his family have threatened to sue El Mundo after the newspaper claimed that police were investigating claiming links between the Barcelona superstar’s father and money-laundering linked to drug trafficking.

A statement from Messi has denied all the allegations concerning Jorge Messi who was in court only back in September over tax evasion charges. Messi himself is currently in Argentina, convalescing after injury.

El Mundo has claimed that Jorge Messi is being investigated by police for connections to a Colombian drug trafficking network.

The alleged money-laundering took advantage of  so-called ‘Row O’ seats sold for Friends of Messi football matches as well as for rock concerts performed by South American stars.

These tickets are designated as those when the buyer had no intention of attending the event but wanted to donate money to the good cause.

Drug networks take advantage of the scan and the newspaper said the Civil Guard believed that Messi’s father creamed off 10pc and 20pc commission on sums paid to his son and other stars.

Messi and Barcelona team-mates Alves Pinto and Javier Mascherano – another Argentinian – had been questioned over several days by the central operational unit of the Guardia Civil in the club offices.

One of the ‘tour’ events implicated was a match in Bogota, Colombia, in 2012.

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