Lionel Messi
Many wondered why Lionel Messi didn't just give up a lot of money to stay at Barca. The reason lies in Spanish law.
Lionel Messi said goodbye to his regular club FC Barcelona last Sunday in tears. “I'm really sad because I didn't want to leave this club. I love Barcelona and wanted to stay. The contract was ready. I did everything to stay,” said the six-time world footballer, expressing that it was not his fault was that his whereabouts with the Catalans did not work out.
But is that really the case? Quite a few Barçc fans and observers of world football assumed that the Argentine had a certain greed for money as part of the failed negotiations. Messi said that he was ready to reduce his salary by up to 50 percent, but many thought: Why does the top earner not give up even more money and play for his heart club for free? After all, the Barca icon has arguably earned more than he could ever spend in his long career.
Well, the answer to the question of why Messi doesn't keep accruing for pocket money at Camp Nou is relatively easy to answer. According to Spanish labor law, an employee must draw at least 50 percent of his salary from a previous engagement. The reason for this article of the law is to prevent financial manipulation.
In addition, FC Barcelona would not have been able to meet the salary requirements of the Spanish league even if Messi had contested the coming season completely without any financial consideration. The Spanish league stipulates that players' salaries may account for a maximum of 70 percent of expenses. At the Blaugrana, spending on player wages, even without their outgoing club icon, is currently 95 percent of total income. That is why it is even in doubt as to whether the Catalans can register the summer transfers Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal with the league.
Although La Liga salary cap rules and Spanish law make it impossible for Messi to unexpectedly stay with his club of hearts, Barca are apparently not giving up the fight for the “magic flea” yet. On the night of Tuesday, the message suddenly circulated in several Spanish sports media that FC Barcelona should have made a new offer to the Argentine.
The details of the Barca offer are not yet known. The Spanish cup winner would probably have to part with several players in order to be able to finance Messi with the salaries saved. Whether Messi would be ready to turn around again after his official departure from Barcelona is extremely questionable.
Most recently, the news that the Spanish lawyer Dr. Juan Branco filed a complaint with the European Commission on behalf of Barca members against Lionel Messi's upcoming move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite Barca's best efforts, the move of perhaps the best footballer of all time to Paris Saint-Germain seems to be a formality. Messi did not fly to the French capital on Sunday or Monday, as initially expected, but aircraft radar showed that his private jet was on its way to Ibiza on Monday evening and later took off for Argentina.
According to “L'Equipe”, the superstar was on the Spanish party island not, as it was before, to take a vacation, but to meet with representatives of PSG for contractual talks. Instead of Paris, the mega-deal between Messi and PSG should now be made clear in Ibiza.
The first stars have already registered with the top French club and they are happy to welcome Messi as a new team-mate: “He's the best in the world,” said Italian European Champion Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 22-year-old is new to Paris Saint-Germain and if everything goes as PSG officials want, Messi should soon be a professional in Paris too. “I'm excited and happy when I think about having him on the team,” said the goalie at “Sky Sport Italia”.
“I hope,” said Messi's former teammate Neymar in a video call with German defender Thilo Kehrer on “Sky Sport Germany” about an engagement of the Argentine on the Seine. “I hope too,” replied Kehrer: “It would be good for us if he came. Very good.”
