Overview
- Both men gave new interviews Sunday that reopened the dispute over Lionel Messi’s 2021 move to PSG and who bears responsibility for it.
- Josep Maria Bartomeu said renewing Messi was feasible and argued the incoming board inflated losses to €555 million, which he says triggered stricter league limits on spending.
- LaLiga’s cost controls cap what clubs can spend based on audited income, and Bartomeu claims a second audit recognized €283 million in provisions that the club still chose to book as losses.
- He detailed COVID-era talks that first cut wages by 14%, then sought a 20% reduction that most players rejected, and he added that only four accepted deferred deals as Messi stayed keen to continue.
- Joan Laporta said letting Messi leave was necessary to rebuild, cited improved results, proposed a statue and tribute match, dismissed lasting harm from the Negreira probe, and claimed referees favor Real Madrid as ties with Florentino Pérez cooled.