Spanish football club Barcelona has finalized the outstanding payments owed to players and staff from the 2019-20 season, settling all deferred wages accumulated due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resolution came after the club faced severe economic difficulties that prompted an agreement allowing deferred salary payments over multiple years.
During the pandemic, which halted European football and caused matches to be played without spectators, Barcelona’s financial situation worsened significantly. Under the previous president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, the club made several questionable financial decisions that exacerbated their fiscal challenges. To cope, an arrangement was made with players and staff, permitting 42.9% of salaries and 100% of variable bonuses to be deferred and paid out later.
Details of deferred salary repayments and Lionel Messi’s share
The deferred wages totaled approximately €121.7 million, planned to be disbursed across eight installments from December 2021 through June 2025. Barcelona recently completed the final payment of around €16 million, marking the full clearance of the deferred wage debt. A substantial portion of these funds went to Lionel Messi, who received over €47.6 million, accounting for more than a third of the total amount. The last tranche included nearly €6 million paid to Messi.
Other prominent players who received significant payments included 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). Ronald Koeman, the former coach who publicly reconciled with current club president Joan Laporta, also obtained €6 million as part of the deferred payments.
Financial crisis forces Barcelona to release Lionel Messi in 2021
Barcelona’s ongoing financial struggles prevented the club from renewing Lionel Messi’s contract during the summer of 2021, leading to his departure on a free transfer. Widely regarded as the greatest player in Barcelona’s history, Messi joined the club’s renowned La Masia academy in 2000 after moving from his hometown club Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina.
He advanced quickly through the youth ranks and debuted for the senior team in 2005, going on to play 16 seasons at Camp Nou. Over his tenure, Messi accumulated a staggering 672 goals and 303 assists across 778 appearances, winning nearly every major team and individual honor available.
When the financial difficulties worsened amid the pandemic, Messi had just one year left on his contract. Despite Barcelona’s efforts to retain him, the club could not overcome their monetary constraints to offer a viable contract extension. Consequently, Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2021, where he scored 32 goals and provided 35 assists in 75 matches before transferring to Inter Miami in 2023.
Messi’s upcoming return visit in FIFA Club World Cup match
In a notable upcoming event, Lionel Messi is set to face his former club when Inter Miami competes against Barcelona in the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 on June 29. This match highlights the continuing connection between the Argentine forward and his long-time club, despite their financial issues that led to his 2021 exit.