Barcelona has threatened legal action after a Spanish outlet leaked Lionel Messi’s contract demands before he left for PSG.
Messi’s departure from Barcelona in 2021 surprised football, but the forward had already announced his intention to leave a year before.
That was after the club was thrashed in the Champions League by Bayern Munich, and he thought he could leave for free due to an agreement in his contract, but later discovered that he had to pay his release clause.
However, prior to his decision to leave, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had been negotiating a new contract to stay at the Nou Camp beyond 2021.
El Mundo published details of those negotiations this week, including reports of nine extraordinary demands, including the elimination of a release clause.
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However, the club is upset that the details have leaked, claiming that the information was part of a judicial procedure and threatening legal action.
“With regard to the information published in El Mundo under the title ‘Barca Leaks, the club’s secret files,’ Barcelona expresses its outrage at the intentional leaking of information that is part of a legal process,” the Spanish giants said in a statement.
“The club regrets that the aforementioned media boasts of ‘access to a huge number of documents and emails that are part of the Barcagate investigation,’ when this information has yet to be shared.”