It is reported that Lionel Messi is ready to sue for up to five ‘suspects’ he believes may have leaked his £ 492million contract in Barcelona.
On Sunday, a Spanish newspaper El Mundo published in full detail about the Argentine superstar’s mega-money deal at Campa Nou.
Messi signed the deal in 2017 and it will expire in June when the 33-year-old will be able to leave with nothing.
Lionel Messi ‘ready to sue five suspects’ he feels could have leaked his £ 492million contract in Barcelona to a Spanish newspaper El Mundo over the weekend
The figure was published by a Spanish paper El Mundo, bringing out Barcelona’s financial secrets
The major leak revealed that the combination of fixed salary, image rights, variables and Barcelona tax will have to be paid on the contract to € 555,237,619 (£ 492m) over the long term.
Messi and his camp have been left haunted by the leaking of such confidential financial data and the Catalan radio show RAC1 reports that the player is now facing a lawsuit.
The report explains that Messi and his team believe that only five people in Barcelona had access to his contractual information.
The five men are Josep vice president Maria Bartomeu; vice president, Jordi Mestre; Chief Oscar Oscar; interim president, Carles Tusquets; and the club’s head of legal services, Romania Gómez Ponti.
Josep Maria Bartomeu (left) was president of Barcelona when Messi extended his contract in 2017 but has since come out denying any proposals he has released. Argentine treaty
Carles Tusquets (left) and Oscar Grau (right) are both reported by Messi
Bartomeu, who retired at the club last October and had an affair with Messi when he was not allowed to leave last summer, has already spoken publicly to make a distance from the leak. .
‘It’s completely false [I was involved in the leak], ‘Bartomeu told TV3 in Spain.
‘This is a very serious case because it is completely illegal to release any professional contract to the media.
‘It’s easy to make allegations but this is not a joke and he’s going to go to court.
‘Messi deserves everything he earns, whether for professional or commercial purposes. Without the pandemic, Barcelona would be able to afford those numbers. ‘
Mestre, who retired after nine years with the club in April 2019, also distanced himself from the released contract and said he found the story ‘in the media’ in an interview with Cadena SER radio.
Messi helped the club bring in a lot more revenue. Whoever claims that his contract has damaged Barça either has no idea or is acting in bad faith – or both, ‘the former vice-president said. .
‘It amazes me. It’s very secretive. This is the first time a contract has been released and I don’t understand why. I have not spoken to Bartomeu about this topic. I have found out through the media. ‘
Grau, CEO at the time Messi signed the contract, ‘clearly denies’ any involvement and said on Catalan radio show Esport3 that ‘many outsiders who also has the contract and is potentially ‘released’.
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman was angered by the news of the leaked contract and called on the sack club whoever they find out amid calls for an internal investigation.
Former vice-president Jordi Mestre escaped the leak by telling radio station Cadena SER that he had discovered that Messi’s contract had been leaked ‘in the media’
Romania Gómez Ponti (pictured) has been appointed as Barcelona’s head of legal services
Barcelona irate coach said: ‘What came out is intended to hurt him. Messi deserves respect.
‘He has done so much for Spanish football. People are out to hurt Barcelona and Messi.
‘If he happens to be an insider that’s very bad and they should have no future at the club.’
Featuring Messi as the highest paid athlete ever by a small pace, the deal promises the player € 138m (£ 122m) per quarter in total salary.
He earned a ‘renewal fee’ of € 115m (£ 102m) for accepting the contract and is said to take home € 79m (£ 69m) each year in a ‘loyalty’ bonus for staying at Campa Nou.
With five months left on the contract, Messi has already earned an eyeful of € 511m (£ 452m).
Koeman (right) can’t understand why anyone would want to hurt Barcelona captain Messi
The report also broke down some of the bonuses given to Messi from the 2017-18 campaign.
As part of his current contract, Messi earned an additional £ 616,172 (€ 695,748) to win the FIFA best player award during the 2018-19 campaign.
The Argentine is also promising a whopping £ 3.1m (€ 3.5m) if Barcelona wins the Champions League – something the club has not achieved since 2015.
Other variables include another £ 1.75m Messi banking (€ 1.9m) if he plays 60 per cent of matches while receiving extra payouts every knockout of the Champions League he has reached, as well as LaLiga and win the Copa del Rey.