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[이데일리 스타in 임정우 기자] It is known that FC Barcelona’s’Ace’ Lionel Messi, 34, has received about 750 billion won in compensation from the club over the past four years.
Spanish media El Mundo released the details of the contract between Messi and Barcelona club on January 31 (Korean time). This is the contract at the time of renewing the contract in November 2017.
According to the contract released by the media, Messi will receive about 555 million euros (about 750 billion won) for four seasons until June this year when the contract ends. The amount received per season is 138 million euros (approximately 187 billion won), with a signing bonus of 115 million euros (approximately 156 billion won) and a loyalty bonus of 77.9 million euros (approximately 15.6 billion won). The annual salary received so far after five months of contract termination is over 6934 billion won.
El Mundo explained that Messi had the largest contract in sports history, pointing out that “a huge deal ruined Barcelona.”
Barcelona faced a serious financial crisis after the coronavirus pandemic began. Recently, according to local media such as Marca, Spain, the total debt of Barcelona is 1,173 million euros (about 1.59 trillion won). Among them, players’ wages account for more than three-quarters of the club’s budget, so it is believed that Messi’s express contract played a decisive role in the deteriorating finances of Barcelona.
Messi, who has been playing for Barcelona since his youth team, expressed his intention to break up by submitting an official request to the club in August last year. However, after a conflict over the buyout issue of 700 million euros (about 950 billion won), he was left with the team. After the contract ends on June 30 this year, Messi can leave in search of a new nest without a transfer fee as well as a buyout that caught last year.