Huge bonus for contract renewal, reduction of a release clause to the minimum level, return of deducted salary with interest – all these conditions were given by Lionel Messi to renew his contract at Barcelona. El Mundo has created a storm in Spanish club football by exposing the incident of 2020.
The Spanish press has also leaked contract information about Gerard Pique’s contract this time. According to the data, PKK is the highest-paid defender in world football.
In this way, Barcelona made a statement expressing anger as the information of one contract after another became public. The Catalan club has threatened to take legal action in this regard.
El Mundo published Messi and Pique contract information under the title ‘Barca Leaks, The Club’s Secret Files.
Pique’s controversial deal was made in 2017, the month after Barca renewed Messi‘s four-year deal. The contract guarantees PKK an income of 142 million euros (including bonuses, and taxes) over the next 5 seasons.
According to the detailed information, at that time, PK told Barcelona president Joseph Bertameu that his income should be set at 15 million per season, excluding bonuses and taxes, so that he could surpass Sergio Ramos as the highest-paid center back in the world.
Ramos, who was in Real Madrid, would have received 12.5 million euros. But Bertameu guaranteed him 12 million.
Club authorities always treat the financial details of contracts with players as confidential matters. In many cases, the duration of the contract is also not disclosed.
But in addition to the amount of money in their contract with Pique, what was discussed with the board president, as well as the talk about the contract that was not signed with Messi in 2020, became public, after which the Barcelona authorities were angry.
Barcelona sees the matter as a breach of the club’s confidentiality after two successive contract leaks.
In a statement on Wednesday, the club threatened legal action, saying, “Barcelona is outraged by the deliberate leak of information as part of the legal process.” Barcelona’s legal department is examining the matter of taking legal action to protect the club’s rights.
