Barcelona's victory over Athletic Bilbao in the 21st round of the Spanish championship faded into the background due to the disclosure of the details of the current contract of striker Lionel Messi.
The publication El Mundo has published sensational information under the heading "The royal contract of Leo Messi, which destroyed Barcelona."
According to the data at the disposal of the publication, in total, from 2017 to 2021, Messi can receive more than € 555 million. Including a number of bonuses are spelled out: for participation in 60% of matches, for loyalty, etc.
As proof of what was written, the authors of the article attached a copy of the contract.
At the same time, the source does not indicate what provoked conversations about who might benefit from the information leak.
Barcelona immediately denied allegations of their involvement, and also announced their readiness to go to court if necessary.
Barcelona categorically denies any involvement in the publication of this document and will take appropriate legal action against El Mundo if this publication causes any harm.
The club expresses its unconditional support for Lionel Messi, especially in relation to any attempt to discredit his name and damage the relationship with the club where he worked to become the best player in the world and in the history of football, ”the 26-time Spanish champion said in a statement.
La Liga President Javier Tebas defended a footballer accused of worsening the financial situation of the blue garnet.
“The difficult financial situation of Barcelona (and other clubs) is not Messi's fault, but rather the devastating consequences of the coronavirus.
If it weren't for the pandemic, the income generated by the best footballer in history would offset the costs.
Some media outlets interpret this situation biasedly, "Tebas wrote on Twitter.
At the moment, the Argentine himself has not given official comments on the leak.
However, according to Spanish media reports, he also expressed his intention to file a lawsuit against those who may have been related to her, since the data was available only to a narrow circle of people.
In particular, we are talking about the former president of Barcelona Josep Maria Bartomeu and the executive director Oscar Grau, under whom the agreement was signed, as well as the acting president of the club Carles Tusquets.
In addition, El Mundo may be held liable.
The attacker's lawyers are already studying the case and preparing the relevant documents.
It is also noted that the publication could completely spoil the relationship between blue garnet and Messi.
The player was allegedly so annoyed with what happened and the fact that someone inside the club could betray him that he was ready to leave the team.
Recall that the forward's contract expires on June 30, 2021, but it was assumed that the final decision would depend on the outcome of the club's presidential elections in March.
Bartomeu denied the leaked allegations, while supporting Messi's decision to seek the truth in court.
“It is absolutely not true that I leaked this contract.
This is a very serious problem, it is forbidden to transfer contracts of professionals.
It's easy to appear in the media and accuse someone, but we're not joking here, it will go to court.
Messi deserves everything he gets from a sporting and commercial point of view, ”Diario Sport quotes Bartomeu.
It should be noted that neither side has denied El Mundo's information.
Despite the fact that by the standards of the current Barcelona, which is in a state of financial crisis, such an agreement may indeed seem disproportionate, the majority sided with Messi.
So, answering journalists' questions after the match with Athletic, head coach Ronald Koeman expressed confidence that the purpose of the article was to harm the footballer and the club.
“A player who has done so much for Spanish football needs to be shown more respect.
We have to try to figure out how the contract ended up in the press.
Some things shouldn't be publicly available.
There are people who want to harm us.
If the leak is inside the club, it is very bad.
In this case, the person responsible for it cannot have a future in Barcelona, - quotes the words of Kuman ESPN.
The candidates for the post of Barcelona president did not stand aside either.
Victor Font said that the Argentine is worth every cent spent on him, so it is necessary to keep him in the team: "He is the best player in history and we want him to stay with us forever."
And Joan Laporta stressed that he intends to find the culprit if he wins the upcoming elections.
“Yesterday I wrote to Lionel to support him and told him not to pay attention to all these stories.
The Catalans want him to stay.
These are pretty painful things because they hit the club.
It's bad management, it happens ... Leo brings in more income than he's worth.
Economists have conducted a study and Messi generates a third of the club's total income.
It's priceless, ”Laporta explained.
Barcelona have been in serious trouble for several seasons. Internal conflicts, dissatisfaction with the performance of veterans, criticism of the leadership and the coaching staff are constantly added to the financial situation, aggravated during the pandemic. In August last year, it was reported that Messi had expressed his intention to leave the team, as his earlier requirements were never met. The situation was not saved by the change of the mentor. However, then the Argentine changed his plans, deciding to wait until the end of the 2020/21 season.