FC Barcelona expresses its dissatisfaction with the deliberate leak of information in El Mundo as part of a legal process
After a Spanish newspaper published details of Barcelona’s contract negotiations with Lionel Messi on Wednesday, the football club threatened legal action.
Al Mundo newspaper published details of Messi’s demands during the renewal of his contract with Barcelona in 2020. This was a year before the 33-year-old footballer’s contract expired, after which he left for the French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Some of Messi’s demands allegedly included a three-year extension, a fund for his family and friends to watch matches at Camp Nou in Spain and a renewal bonus of nearly $10 million. The additional demands reportedly included a private plane and a commission for his brother Rodrigo.
Messi also pushed for the release clause to be rescinded – the fee a club can pay to release a player – and lowered to nearly $10,000, unprecedented for a player of Messi’s stature. This could have been reduced from around $700 million, but Barcelona reportedly refused to sign this request.
The player and club agreed to only seven of Messi’s nine demands, and negotiations broke down.
Following the release of the report in El Mundo, the Spanish football club issued a statement rejecting the allegations.
“With regard to the information published today in El Mundo… FC Barcelona expresses its dissatisfaction with the deliberate leakage of information, which is part of a legal process,” Barcelona said in a statement.
“… In order to protect the rights of FC Barcelona, the club’s legal department is considering the legal measures that must be taken.”