Barcelona prosecutors are calling for the arrest of footballer Lionel Messi’s father in a tax fraud case.

Prosecutors have cleared Messi of wrongdoing but are seeking an 18-month prison sentence for his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, for allegedly defrauding Spain's tax office of €4 million euro in unpaid taxes from 2007-09.

The decision is considered a win for Lionel Messi, who had also been mentioned in the investigation. A Spanish judge had recently rejected an appeal filed by the player's lawyers to drop the Barcelona star from the case.

In the documents made public on Tuesday, prosecutors also called for a fine of €2 million for the father of the Argentina playmaker.