One of the biggest breakups in the history of football happened a year ago, Lionel Messi did what seemed unthinkable – he left Barcelona. The romance ended in a shipwreck. The Argentinian gave a lot to the Catalan club, and vice versa but El Mundo came out with a series of articles about Messi and Barcelona in which it all went ‘south’ for the two.Firstly, El Mundo analyzed Messi’s contract with Barcelona in detail and announced how much the touches of genius at the Nou Camp cost the Blaugrana.The outlet came into possession of confidential information, e-mails that circulated between the club’s and the player’s representatives, the precise earnings of the Argentinian by age also came to light.At first the numbers were symbolic. Funny you could say. And the contract – just the kind the Catalan club used to make with the boys who passed through La Masia at the beginning of this century. Scholarship recipient Lionel Messi was no different when he stepped into Barcelona’s premises with his parents. He was treated identically to the others, eventually becoming a deity.##NAJAVA_MECA_6660093##Accompanied by his parents, he initialed his first contract as a minor on December 5, 2001, and ‘connected’ with Barcelona. He was integrated into the amateur team, it was a prelude to a professional contract, which would arrive two years later and which was significantly better than the original one. Messi’s salary was 5,409 euros per season, and the player’s earnings and penalties were disproportionate.The penalty for leaving the club, which was common at the time – was set at around 5,000,000 euros. The Catalans would have to be compensated so much for the investment and development of the Argentine genius that he decided not to sign a professional contract, while the penalties for Barca were mere. If the decision was made not to offer Messi a contract, the club would have to pay him 150,253 euros.Such an outcome did not occur, both parties fulfilled their obligations and sat at the table. On one side, then president Joan Laporta, vice president Sandro Russell and operative Ferran Soriano, and on the other, Lionel Messi and his parents, who were assisted by Argentine lawyer Ivan Horacio Hernandez. A nine-year contract was concluded, it expired on June 30, 2012, and every item was fully complied with.The giant is back on its feet: Barcelona’s profit this season will be 274,000,000 eurosIn the 2003/2004 season, the Argentinian magician earned a fixed salary of 45,877 euros, and for each performance he received 1,503 euros. In the following season, the salary was 64,368 euros, and the bonus for the match played was 1,653 euros. After that, the salary increased to 82.75 European banknotes, while Messi received 1,803 euros for each drenching of his jersey with sweat. In the 2006/2007 season, the salary reached the figure of 96,553 euros, and he received 2,104 per match.A more significant jump in income occurred in 2007/2008, when he earned 275,856 euros per year. He was rewarded with 6,010 euros for each one that occurred. Before the end of the contract, the figures doubled – the fixed part was 432,188 euros, and Leo received 8,414 euros per match. But when he plays at least 45 minutes…Pique, do us a favour and leave!Lionel Messi has become a brand, he has gone beyond the boundaries of an ordinary player. This is best evidenced by the image rights. At first, they were 9,015, and in the last contracted year, as much as 84,743 euros.All figures grew proportionally until the contract was signed in 2017. Then he received 138,000,000 euros per season, the renewal premium was 115,225,000, and the loyalty bonus was 77,929,955 euros. An abnormal amount of money. But if anyone earned Barcelona money, it is Leo Messi. He scored 672 goals and won 35 titles (10x La Liga, 7x Copa del Rey, 8x Spanish Super Cup, 4x Champions League, 3x Club World Cup).Maybe everything would have been different if the termination clause had been activated… While he was in Barcelona C, it stood at 30,000,000, in Barcelona B at 80,000,000, and in the first team 150,000,000 euros. Serious penalties for Messi if he moved to another club after playing for Barca’s first team.El Mundo have leaked a number of emails detailing Lionel Messi’s contract demands for a new deal in 2020.Those included a box at Camp Nou for his and Luis Suarez’s family. No deal was done and months later, Messi would send a burofax asking to leave the club. pic.twitter.com/WqFCCsAgwE— Football España (@footballespana_) September 21, 2022 And if he didn’t live up to expectations after signing his first professional contract? Barcelona would not even “feel” the Argentine’s presence. The club was ‘safe’ and the departure would range between 180,304 and 300,506 euros, depending on when Messi’s services would be waived. In the end, he left his dream club, but only when Barcelona’s hands were tied, when it was too late for penalties.That whole saga of Messi leaving is a story for itself. Barcelona and Leo Messi started negotiations on June 11, 2020 regarding the signing of a new contract, they were close to an agreement, and then new demands arrived. However, Josep Maria Bartomeu, the man who brought the club to bankruptcy and the brink of collapse, did not want to agree to them. Messi sent the famous burofax two summers ago, broke the deadline by which he could have terminated the contract when his wishes were not granted and remained at the club of his life for another year. With the change in the management structure, both sides expressed a desire to stay – it was too late. The legend of the Catalan club said goodbye in tears and set off for Paris.All this is known, but what is not? The list of demands that Messi presented to Bartomeu and the items that the Barcelona president could not pass. Information is leaking everywhere, a pipe has burst, and Neymar and Gerard Pique are next.##NAJAVA_MECA_6659865##During the negotiations on a new contract, Leo Messi asked Barcelona for a private VIP box at Camp Nou for his and Luis Suarez’s family; a private plane he could use to take his family to Argentina every year for Christmas; a bonus of 10,000,000 euros just for signing; reduction of the exit clause and the possibility to leave Barcelona for only 10,000 euros; 3 percent interest on what is owed to him from the coronavirus struck season, because earnings have been reduced due to the difficult financial situation… And the demands don’t end there.The Argentine forward’s legal representative requested that the new contract be signed for three seasons and that the 20 percent salary reduction from the 2020/2021 season be returned in the next two years. Equally distributed, with the already mentioned interest that would run until all back wages are paid. Loyalty bonus collection was also requested.🚨 Lionel Messi’s demands for a contract extension at Barça in 2020:- €10m signing bonus- €10,000 release clause- A private box at the Camp Nou for him and Suarez- A salary increase in 2022 with a 3% interest rate to compensate the deferred salary(Source: @elmundoes) pic.twitter.com/nuEUy20EmF— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 21, 2022 Bartomeu somehow accepted the conditions while the financial noose was tied around his neck, but he could not agree to two: lowering the clause from 700,000,000 to 10,000 euros and paying a premium of 10,000,000 euros for the signature. That’s where he drew a line and ended the negotiations. In a way, he “drove” Lionel Messi away from Barcelona.After a year, due to the financial dilemma in which the Catalans found themselves, nothing could be changed, even though the new-old president, Joan Laporta, tried his best. Leo also wanted to stay at Camp Nou – at that time it was impossible. The City of Light and Paris Saint-Germain welcomed him, and Barcelona still feels bitter about everything that happened to this day.
