Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract has been revealed to the public.
The details of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract has been leaked to the public and the 33-year-old’s deal is reportedly worth a maximum of €555,237,619.
The reported figure is distributed over four seasons and requires certain clauses within the contract to be fulfilled.
Spanish publication El Mundo reportedly received a copy of the Argentine’s contract which he signed in 2017 with the Catalan club. The contract includes extras and payments that amount to €138m every season.
El Mundo today, what a bomb. Leo Messi’s contract with Barcelona revealed on front page ??? @elmundoes
– €555,237,619 contract [4 years].
– €138m per season fixed + variables.
– €115,225,000 as ‘renewal fee’ just for accepting the contract.
– €77,929,955 loyalty bonus. pic.twitter.com/FK3I34hJta
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2021
Barcelona debt.
The staggering figures come at a time when Barcelona revealed they were burdened with €1.2b worth of debt of which €730m was due to be paid in the short term.
El Mundo’s report went on to reveal that Messi’s contract included a signing-on bonus of €115,225,000 for agreeing to the contract renewal and a loyalty bonus of €77,929,955.
The outlet also claims that Messi’s contract is the most lucrative deal handed to any athlete in history.
Additionally, the report highlighted that the Barcelona number 10 has already received more than €510m of the total figure stipulated in his contract, which is due to expire on June 30th 2021.
It must also be noted that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner agreed to take a pay cut when the pandemic struck and as such, he won’t earn the exact amount mentioned above.
Legal action.
After details of Messi‘s contract emerged online, it was reported that the Argentina international was looking to initiate legal action against the publication.
Spanish publication RAC 1 reported that Messi’s team was preparing a lawsuit and was looking to discover if any Barcelona personnel played a role in the matter.
‼️ NOTÍCIA @EsportsRAC1
Messi emprendrà accions legals contra el diari EL MUNDO. El seu advocat prepara una querella contra el diari i s’està estudiant com involucrar les persones del club amb accés al seu contracte. Més informació al #PrimerToc
— El Barça juga a RAC1 (@FCBRAC1) January 31, 2021
Barcelona themselves released a statement and denied any involvement in the contract leaks.
“FC Barcelona categorically denies any responsibility for the publication of this document and will take appropriate legal action against the newspaper El Mundo, for any damage that may be caused as a result of this publication.
“The club expresses its absolute support for Messi, especially in the face of any attempt to discredit his image, and to damage his relationship with the entity where he has worked to become the best player in the world and in football history.”
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