What do the leaked documents show?
According to El Mundo, Messi could receive € 555,237,619 (£ 491,732,285) in four seasons, if a number of conditions were met, while receiving a base salary of around € 72 million (£ 63.76 million) annually.
The newspaper says the contract signed by Messi was highly encouraged. Messi reportedly received a € 115 million (£ 102 million) renewal bonus just for signing the contract, as well as € 77 million (£ 68.19 million) of ‘loyalty bonus’, which was split into two payments.
The newspaper adds that Messi receives additional bonuses for playing more than 60 percent of games over the course of a season, as well as progressing into the Champions League, winning La Liga or Copa del Rey and winning the FIFA Best Award.
The report states that the 33-year-old may have already secured more than € 510 million (£ 451.67 million) of the total.
So, did Messi really earn 510 million euros in Barcelona since 2017?
No. Barcelona players also accepted a 70 percent cut in wages in March, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and pledged donations to help the club’s non-sports team continue to receive their full salary.
Messi would also have to pay about half of his annual salary in taxes in Spain.
And several performance-related bonuses have not been met.
How did Barcelona react?
Barcelona denied responsibility for the document’s leak and said it would file a lawsuit against the newspaper.
“The club regrets its publication because it is a private document governed by the principle of confidentiality between the parties,” he said in a note.
“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.”
How did Messi react?
Messi did not make any immediate public comments on the report.
Barcelona, however, expressed its “absolute support for Lionel Messi, especially in the face of any attempt to discredit his image and damage his relationship with the entity where he worked to become the best player in the world and in the history of football”.
How controversial is that?
It is very controversial, as the leak occurs at a time when Barcelona is trying to manage a huge debt created mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The club has total debts of almost € 1.2 billion, of which € 730 million was due to be paid in the short term, € 266 million to various banks by 30 June.
Barcelona’s financial problems are so great that the club is increasingly interested in establishing a European Super League, which you can read in Going Deeper below.
(Photo: by Sportinfoto and DeFodi Images via Getty Images)