Barcelona settle final payment of deferred wages as money received by Lionel Messi comes to light: Reports

Spanish giants Barcelona have officially settled the final outstanding dues owed to their players and staff from the 2019-20 campaign. According to reports from SPORT (via Barca Universal), the club have cleared their salary debt from deferred wages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under erstwhile club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the administration took a number of irresponsible financial decisions. The COVID-19 pandemic, which initially shut European football down and then forced games to be played behind closed doors, only magnified the negative effects manifold.

Towards the end of 2020, the Catalan giants had to take the drastic action. An agreement was reached with the players and staff which allowed the administration to defer a part of their wages until stability was restored.

According to the agreement, the players had agreed to defer 42.9% of their salaries and 100% of their variable bonuses. The deferred salary would then be given to them across eight scheduled payments between December 2021 and June 2025.

The value of the deferred wages was believed to be around €121.7 million in total. With the final payment of €16 million supposedly complete, Barcelona have cleared their entire salary debt.

Unsurprisingly, a major chunk of the total amount was pocketed by Argentine maestro Lionel Messi. He was owed more than a third of the total sum (€47.6 million), of which €5.96 million came through the final payment.

Other players who received a sizeable amount from the payments are Samuel Umtiti (€9.9 million), Sergio Busquets (€8.2 million), Antoine Griezmann (€8 million), Jordi Alba (€7.6 million) and Philippe Coutinho (€6.6 million). Then-coach Ronald Koeman, who publicly made up with current Barcelona president Joan Laporta yesterday (June 27), also received €6 million from the payments.

Barcelona's financial problems forced them to let go of Lionel Messi on a free transfer to PSG in 2021

Barcelona's financial woes rendered them unable to re-sign superstar forward Lionel Messi to a contract extension in the summer of 2021.

Messi is widely considered to be the greatest player in the history of the Catalan side. He joined the club's famed La Masia youth academy in 2000 from boyhood side Newell's Old Boys.

He quickly worked his way up the ranks and made the jump to Barcelona's senior team in 2005. He spent 16 seasons at the Camp Nou, winning every individual and team accolade on offer.

Messi racked up an eye-watering 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances for Barca across all competitions. Predictably, he was also the top-earner towards the latter part of his tenure in Catalonia.

When the club plunged into deep economic turmoil in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Messi had just one year remaining on his contract. While the Blaugrana tried every method available at their disposal, they weren't able to reach a contract extension agreement with their greatest superstar.

In 2021, he joined French side PSG, racking up 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances before moving to his current team, Inter Miami, on a free transfer in 2023. He will be seen in action for the Herons in their FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 clash against his previous side on Sunday (June 29).

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava