What did the leaked documents reveal?
According to El Mundo, Messi could receive € 555,237,619 (£ 491,732,285) over four seasons if a number of conditions were met, while he would receive a base salary of around € 72 million (£ 63.76 million) per year.
The newspaper claims that the contract Messi signed was highly stimulated. Messi reportedly received a € 115m (£ 102m) extension bonus just for signing the contract, as well as a € 77m (£ 68.19m) ‘loyalty bonus’ split into two payments.
The newspaper adds that Messi will receive more bonuses for playing more than 60 percent of the matches over the course of a season, as well as advancement in the Champions League, winning La Liga or the Copa del Rey, and winning FIFAs. The Best Award.
According to the report, the 33-year-old may have already raised more than € 510 million (£ 451.67 million) of the total.
So, has Messi really made € 510 million from Barcelona since 2017?
No. The Barcelona players also accepted a 70 percent salary cut in March at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and pledged donations to help the club’s non-sports staff continue to receive their full pay.
Messi would also have to pay about half of his annual salary in taxes in Spain.
And some of the performance-related bonuses have not been met.
How did Barcelona react?
Barcelona denied responsibility for the document’s leakage, saying it would take legal action against the newspaper.
“The club regrets its publication as it is a private document governed by the principle of confidentiality between the parties,” said a statement.
“FC Barcelona categorically disclaims any responsibility for the publication of this document and will take appropriate legal action against El Mundo newspaper for any damage that may be caused as a result of this publication.”
How did Messi react?
Messi did not immediately make public comments on the report.
Barcelona, meanwhile, expressed its “absolute support for Lionel Messi, especially in light of any attempt to discredit his image and his relationship with the entity where he has worked to become the best player in the world and in football history,” to harm. “
How controversial is this?
It is highly controversial because the leak comes at a time when Barcelona is trying to manage a massive debt mainly driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The club has total indebtedness of nearly € 1.2 billion, of which € 730 million is due to be repaid in the short term, and € 266 million to various banks on June 30.
Barcelona’s financial troubles are such that the club is increasingly interested in setting up a European Super League, which you can read below in Going Deeper.
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