Barcelona was forced to let star player Lionel Messi leave the club because his high wages coupled with strict La Liga financial rules could have jeopardised its future, President Joan Laporta said on Friday.
Both the club, which has suffered steep losses recently, and 34-year-old Messi had wanted to sign a new contract. But the Argentine's deal would have taken salaries to 110% of the club's earnings, a financially risky move given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laporta said.
Messi's last contract, signed in 2017, was the most lucrative in world sport according to a January report in newspaper El Mundo. Forbes has listed him as the athlete with the world's second-highest earnings in 2021, at $130 million. "In order to meet FFP, Barca had to agree to an operation, essentially re-mortgaging the club, which would affect us for the next 50 years in terms of TV rights, and I had to make the decision," he said.
Salaries should ideally account for 65%-70% of the club's income, "so there's still a lot of work to be done," Laporta said. The Argentine's next move remains unclear and for now he remains without a club ahead of the 2021-2022 season.
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