Nearly five years after Lionel Messi’s exit, Barcelona still has outstanding financial commitments to their former captain.
As reported by Diario AS, the club is scheduled to pay Messi €5.95 million on Monday. This amount relates to deferred salary payments that were postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Messi isn’t the only player awaiting such payments. Several other current and former players — including Ronald Araújo, Pedri, Ansu Fati, and Iñaki Peña — are also reportedly due deferred wages as part of agreements made when the club was facing financial challenges during the pandemic.
Conversely, players like Marc-André ter Stegen and Frenkie de Jong chose not to defer their wages. Instead, they renegotiated their contracts to extend their terms, helping Barcelona distribute salary costs more evenly.
Commenting on the situation, La Liga president Javier Tebas stated, “Barcelona must comply with the rules, whether it’s Haaland, Messi, or Nico Williams,” addressing criticism raised by Athletic Club regarding the club’s finances
