After a press release from an annoyed Lionel Messi on Monday, Josep Maria Bartomeu was quick to speak. The president of FC Barcelona assures that the discussions for the salary cut went well. And that the finances of the club are not worrying.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu calmed the game after Lionel Messi’s anger.
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It also surprises us that within the club itself, some people tried to put pressure on us to do something that we had already clearly decided to do.
In his press release to announce the drop in wages for FC Barcelona players, Lionel Messi took the opportunity to address a tackle supported by his management!
Bartomeu’s version
The Argentinian striker, who had already stopped at technical secretary Eric Abidal, guilty of having criticized the involvement of certain elements under the former coach Ernesto Valverde, did not appreciate that the press would receive information on the discussions in progress. And when the Pulga raises its voice, the ground shakes at Bara! So much so that Josep Maria Bartomeu felt compelled to explain himself to Mundo Deportivo.
To begin with, the president assured that the four captains had immediately accepted the idea of a cut in wages. On Friday the 20th, with Oscar Grau (the general director, editor’s note), we did a videoconference with Messi, Busquets, Piqu and Sergi Roberto. They were told that we wanted to reduce fixed wages, not bonuses, during the health crisis and they immediately agreed, said the leader. We took 10 days to reach an agreement but they said yes from the first day. Otherwise, we would have opted for partial unemployment.
President not guilty
But with regard to leaks in the media, Bartomeu admits that the executives did not appreciate. Yes, they told me about it a few times, he admitted, pleading not guilty. But I can’t control who’s talking. I do not know who it is. (…) People inside or outside spoke without knowing exactly how the discussions were going. These noises did not help. I understand this press release but I do not see it as a criticism. However, Messi’s little sentence forced Bara to communicate.
It was therefore an opportunity for Bartomeu to reassure about the club’s financial health. Thanks to the 70% drop in player salaries, the current Liga leader claims to be safe and can even consider extending his six-fold Golden Ball with confidence. Messi has said this several times. He wants to finish his career at Bara, so that does not worry us, reassured the president. You just have to sit down and find an agreement. Then Bartomeu, who insisted on the status of Bara, the club with the highest turnover, certified that the health crisis would not curb his ambitions in the transfer window.
A big transfer window despite everything?
Can we still be ambitious? Yes, there is enough to make a good team, he announced. Neymar? Lautaro Martinez? I cannot speak of names. The Bara will be able to carry out the operations it thinks necessary. Of course we will have capabilities. I repeat, we are the club with the most revenue. Note that the manager also granted an interview to the other local Sport media, just to be sure to repair the damage…
What do you think of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s speech? Do not hesitate to react and debate in the area add a comment …
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