Lionel Messi contract leak: Staggering loyalty bonus, management clause and Barcelona denial

Barcelona have said their fury after Lionel Messi’s contract leaked within the Spanish press and threatened authorized motion towards El Mundo after the newspaper revealed particulars.

Nevertheless, extra particulars have been dropped at gentle through the Madrid each day on Monday, regardless of the declaration from the Catalan giants.

Barcelona discover themselves in monetary turmoil with money owed of over £1bn – regardless of boasting the very best revenues in European soccer – over £200million of which have to be repaid to banks by June 30.

El Mundo reported on Sunday that Messi’s present deal – signed in 2017 and because of expire this summer time – is price an enormous £491million.

Los Cules have duly threatened to take “acceptable authorized motion”, having confirmed the veracity of the doc in query.

They said: “FC Barcelona categorically denies any duty for the publication of this doc.”

They added: “FC Barcelona expresses its absolute help for Lionel Messi, particularly within the face of any try and discredit his picture, and to break his relationship with the entity the place he has labored to change into one of the best participant on this planet and in soccer historical past.”

On Sunday night time, a seething Ronald Koeman has had his say on the matter, vowing to establish whoever is accountable and sack them.

The Dutchman additionally labelled the leak “malicious”.

Talking after Sunday night time’s 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, Koeman stated: “Whoever has leaked Messi’s contract can not have a future at Barca.

“What has come out within the press about Messi was carried out maliciously.

“We’ve to attempt to know the way this might have come out within the press. We’ve to focus on our season. The group’s been advantageous these days. We gained loads of video games. We do not have to give attention to this concern, however there are individuals who need to harm Barca and Leo.

“Messi has been demonstrating his high quality as a footballer for years, has helped quite a bit to make this membership nice and has helped quite a bit to win titles.”

El Mundo’s initial report on Messi’s contract – “a sum equal to the help accepted by the Latvian authorities towards Covid for the following 5 years” – labelled it “the pharaonic contract that ruins Barcelona”.

Equally as damning, they declare it a contract that “reveals the servitude of former president [Josep Maria] Bartomeu earlier than the star” and which has helped to take the membership “from glory to smash.”

Koeman added: “I do not perceive why they are saying he is ruined Barca.

“He is spent years and years displaying his high quality as a footballer. We should spotlight what he is carried out for this membership. He is helped make this membership nice and we’ve to cease with all this contract nonsense.”

Messi has additionally threatened to take authorized motion additionally whereas he has been defended by La Liga president Javier Tebas on social media.

One man who has denied something to do with the leaking of Messi’s deal is ex-president Bartomeu.

The controversial former Camp Nou supremo – whose soured tenure led to Messi pushing to go away the membership final summer time – hit out at ideas that he had been concerned within the info leak.

Going public through TV3 program Gol a Gol on Sunday night time, Bartomeu stated: “I am sorry to listen to that I’ve leaked the contract, it’s completely false. It’s a very severe and completely unlawful matter to filter skilled contracts.

“Talking on tv and accusing is simple, however we’re not kidding as a result of this can find yourself in courtroom.

“By the best way, Messi deserves what he prices for each sporting and industrial causes. And and not using a pandemic, Barça might completely pay these figures.”

There stays fury from the Messi camp that the main points have been leaked from a contract that had been maybe probably the most guarded in all of sports activities.

There are solely 4 copies of the intricately detailed contract: one with Messi, one with Barca, one with La Liga and one additionally with the regulation agency utilized by the Argentine, Cuatrecasas.

Whereas Messi gained’t have obtained the complete £491million by the point his contract is up because of lacking out on plenty of performance-related add-ons – La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey failures – in addition to accepting a pay minimize then the coronavirus pandemic first hit final March.

In Monday’s newest assortment of leaks, the unrepentant El Mundo state that on July 15 – two weeks after Messi’s present contract expires – Barca are beholden to pay him a loyalty cost of £34.3m.

That determine will finally be included in subsequent season’s accounting.

Staggeringly, it signifies that they face nonetheless paying him even when he has walked out on the membership by then.

El Mundo have additionally gone into element about Messi’s use of social media, and a clause inside his employment contract that prohibits Messi from criticising administration on the membership.

It is claimed that on three events, notably in his critique of former teammate turned sporting director Eric Abidal, Messi didn’t comply.

The 34 year-old’s long-term future stays in query, with potential strikes to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain mooted.

Nevertheless, it’s not out of the realms of chance that Barca, nonetheless but to carry elections to verify a brand new president and board following Bartomeu’s departure, can persuade Messi to stay.

In a current interview he declared that he’s but to decide on his future, and can select his subsequent step on the finish of the season.

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