Former Barcelona president breaks silence on Messi exit and wage restructuring: ‘It was possible to renew his contract’ | OneFootball

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has finally decided to address one of the most controversial periods in the club’s modern history – Lionel Messi’s exit.

It must be noted that Bartomeu’s tenure continues to divide opinion, especially with current president Joan Laporta frequently referencing the previous administration when explaining key decisions. 

Bartomeu, however, believes that the story has gone too far, prompting him to speak out and present his version of events.

At the centre of his defence is the departure of Messi in 2021, a moment that changed the club’s identity. 

Bartomeu rejects the idea that his financial management was responsible for Messi leaving.

“If they had done what needed to be done, it would have been perfectly possible to renew Leo Messi’s contract and sign players,” he claimed.

More on Messi’s exit

He went further by directly addressing the financial arguments that have been widely associated with Messi’s exit.

“It wasn’t the legacy’s fault, but rather ‘financial fair play’, because the new board inflated the losses to €555 million. 

“When La Liga received this, it decided to carry out a second audit and concluded that the losses were not as stated, as there were provisions amounting to €283 million. 

“But Barça decided to stand by its proposal, La Liga applied the rules, and the club lost a financial fair play penalty which, to this day, it has still not recovered.”

Bartomeu also took the opportunity to highlight Messi’s value to the club, both on and off the pitch, suggesting that the Argentine’s contributions were never fully matched by his contract.

“Messi was underpaid for what he delivered, both in sporting, financial and commercial terms”

He added that the forward’s intention had always been to remain part of Barcelona’s evolution.

Bartomeu says it was possible to renew Messi’s contract. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

“He would have loved to be part of the squad’s renewal, alongside these young players we have now, who are also part of this famous legacy, but he was let go, and it couldn’t be.”

The former president also revisited the infamous burofax episode, offering his perspective on why Messi was not allowed to leave earlier.

“Barça needed him, and I explained clearly to him, his family and his agents that it was impossible. In the end, he understood and moved on.”

Addressing Messi’s influence within the club, Bartomeu made a clear distinction between leadership in the dressing room and authority at an institutional level.

“He had the right to say whatever he wanted, and he was certainly the boss in the dressing room, but not at the club.”

The wage restructuring

Finally, Bartomeu addressed the wage restructuring decisions made during the COVID-19 crisis, shedding light on internal negotiations with key players.

Notably, this restructuring caused massive problems for Barcelona in the following years.

“In March 2020, lockdown began and at that point, revenue dried up, so a 14% pay cut was agreed with the players, resulting in savings of €90 million. 

“We spoke to Procicat and they told us we would surely be able to reopen the stadium for the new season, but in August, they told us we couldn’t. 

“So we spoke to the players to tell them their wages would be cut by 20%. And that’s when things came to a head, because they said no. 

“Consequently, we had to open negotiations.

“And there were only four players who said, ‘We want to do this, we want to help.’ 

“A new contract was drawn up for them, under which they would earn less in the first two years and more in the final two,” he concluded.

Source: SPORT