The huge contract of Messi in Barcelona: €555,237,619

Jan 31, 2021

Messi’s contract in Barcelona totalizes €555,237,619, splited among 4 seasons, from 2017-2018 until the end of current season, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, citing parts from the contract.

The deal with the Argentinian star comes to light when Barcelona is struggling to pay its debt. Barça has debt of more than €1 billion and part of it is short term debt that the club will have to pay next months or renegotiate with the creditors.

According to El Mundo, with that contract, Messi secured payments of €138 million per season, with fixed salary and variables. The Argentinian star is considered the best player of the world and his paycheck reflects his role in the club.

Messi’s contract also included two separate payments:

  • €115.2 million as a bonus for accepting a contract extension;
  • €77.9 milhões as a “loyalty” bonus.

Messi earns €380.299 per day

El Mundo reveals that Messi had already received 92% of these €555 million, as the contract will expire next June 30.

“The biggest contract in the football history” of Messi represents the doble of the amount that Barcelona spends with other sports, including basket and handball.

Messi earns €380.299 per day (corresponding to a net earning of €210.297). This figures excludes other earnings with image rights of Messi, like sponsorship deals.

Because his huge paycheck, Messi is also a nice taxpayer for public finances in Spain. More than half of his salary goes to Social Security: €297 million.

Club denies responsabilities

Messi’s contract is about to expire and Barcelona will probably see him leaving next Summer after a long partnership. Amongst next destinations are Manchester City (Messi is a close friend of Pep Guardiola) and PSG (the French team has plans to create a superteam with Neymar, Messi and Sergio Ramos).

Responding to the El Mundo report, Barcelona regreted the publication of Messi’s contract “given that it is a private document governed by the principle of confidentiality between the parties.”

Read more: Top 20 Football Clubs by Revenue 2021

“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.”

“FC Barcelona expresses its absolute support for Lionel Messi, especially in the face of any attempt to discredit his image, and to damage his relationship with the entity where he has worked to become the best player in the world and in football history.”

Barça’s crisis

Barcelona will hold elections this year (March 7th). The club finances are in a mess, as the Covid-19 pandemic is putting football industry under the bus. But Barça fans blamme former managements for the current problems.

Barça’s debt reached €1.2 billion, including short term debt of €730 million. Expenses with the wage bill represents 74% of the club’s income.

Barca also owe a total of €126m (£112m/$153m) to other clubs, stemming from several transfer deals that the club has conducted in recent years.

The club still owes €29m (£26m/$35m) to Liverpool for the signing of Philippe Coutinho, €16m (£14m/$19m) to Ajax for Frenkie de Jong and nearly €10m (£9m/$12m) to Bordeaux for Malcom, with each requiring payments by June 30.

According to Deloitte’s annual study “Money League”, Barcelona managed to retain its position as the top-earning football club in Europe, even as the pandemic cost it 15% of revenues. Sales at the Blaugrana dropped to dropped to €715.1 million in the 2019-2020 season from last year’s record €840.8 million.

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