Details of the disgruntled superstar Lionel Messi’s four-year extension contract signed in 2017 were revealed by the Spanish newspaper The world in a bombastic report by Marti Saballs and Esteban Urreiztieta. The maximum amount of € 555,237,619 was stamped on the first page of the publication with the title: “Messi’s pharaonic contract that ruined Barcelona”.
More:
Argentine Lionel Messi has a contract with FC Barcelona in the amount of € 555,237,619 gross, to be paid in four seasons until his due date on 30 June. The figure is the sum of a fixed salary, image rights, a series of multi-million. Bonuses in euros unprecedented to date, daily allowances and a list of variables depending on the various objectives.
Some additional details of the contract include the fact that the Argentine winger earns a fixed total of € 138 million per season, which increases based on certain variables – namely statistical goals and club achievements. He also received € 115,225,000 as a “renewal fee” for accepting the contract and an additional € 77,929,955 as a loyalty bonus.
In summary, we are analyzing:
- Just under $ 674 million in four years (about $ 168.5 million per season)
- Renewal fee estimated at about $ 140 million
- Loyalty bonuses of approximately $ 94.6 million
It should come as no surprise that arguably the greatest player of his generation is earning a salary that is 15 times that of NHL star Alexander Ovechkin, or five times that of NBA superstar LeBron James, but the context in which this contract fits probably explains the framework.
FC Barcelona reported in October that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic led to a loss of 97 million euros. It was then reported on Friday, reported that the club’s debt is € 1.173 billion, which has caused some internal disputes over whether the club can sign players like Eric Garcia, if it can sign anyone, according to ESPN’s Sid Lowe.
On top of that, Barcelona had the chance to potentially recover some of that money if they decided to sell Messi’s contract at the transfer window last summer when he asked to leave. The main disputes over the technical aspects of the Argentine’s contract led to a situation where the club charged a very high transfer fee on the biggest player who ever applied for him, which caused even the clubs supported by a rescue of a king and a half to refuse. Now he will see the end of the contract, which means he walks for free.
Barcelona as a whole is perhaps in one of the most dire situations in the club’s modern history. Your local superstar wants to leave, your coach is struggling to make good choices on the pitch, the team is fourth in the league – ten points behind Atlético de Madrid, who have one game less – and now this report has dropped, adding more stress things. Worst of all, there is no sign that things are going to get anytime soon, and we will all be reminded of how things are again when the summer transfer window arrives.