Barcelona President Josep Maria Batromeu has refuted claims that star player Lionel Messi has refsued to take a pay cut. Barcelona players took a 70 per cent pay cut in a bid to help deal with the Corona epidemic.
Speaking to the Sport, Bartomeu said: “Messi told me from day one that this reduction had to be made. This proposal came from the captains. It is a gesture that demonstrates their commitment to the club.”
“Perhaps (the players) have been frustrated by things said by people inside and outside the club, who do not have all the information. But the negotiations were carried out only by Oscar Grau and me and we have not said anything.”
Messi issued a statement on behalf of the players on Monday with the playmaker insisting that they had always been happy to reduce their pay in order to help the club and its staff during the nationwide lockdown.
The statement was seen as a jibe to some of the club officials who had spread rumours that the team was not ready for a cut to help during these times of the COVID-19 attack.
Messi has strongly hit out at the board members in recent times over what he terms as mismanagement of funds that has led to the team not winning the Champions League for five years.
Spain is one of the worst hit countries by the epidemic and the nation is in total lock-down.