Despite their departures from the club and current association with Inter Miami, Barca continues to pay Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. The trio, who once formed the core of the Blaugrana’s dominance, now play in MLS for David Beckham’s Inter Miami. Yet their financial ties to the Catalan giants remain due to deferred salary payments.
These payments stem from financial measures Barcelona implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like many clubs around the world, the Catalans faced severe economic challenges as seasons were interrupted. In fact, they played their matches behind closed doors, and revenues plunged. To mitigate the financial blow, the club negotiated wage reductions and deferrals with several key players. This list included Messi, Busquets, and Alba. This allowed the Catalans to reduce their immediate salary expenses while committing to pay the players at a later date.
Now, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, the club till fulfilling these deferred payments to the three soccer stars. Their financial commitment, however, is nearing its end. To be more specific, the last of the payments will likely be completed by the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. By that time, Barca will have settled their debt with the current Herons trio. Thus, they will finally sever their financial obligations to these former players.
The deferred salary payments, while significant, do not impact Barcelona’s current spending capabilities. This is because the club had already accounted for these payments in their 2020-21 financial reports. That year, the registered a staggering $536 million in losses. Pandemic effects and wage deferral agreements, which helped the club weather the financial storm, were major contributors to these losses.
By including the deferred payments in the 2020-21 accounts, Barcelona ensured that these amounts would not burden the club’s future financial statements. As a result, the club’s ongoing payments to Messi, Busquets, and Alba are not counted as current expenditures. This arrangement provides the club with some breathing room. Especially, as they work towards rebuilding their finances and complying with La Liga’s strict salary cap regulations.
This season, these payments won’t have much of an impact on Barcelona’s finances. However, they will always be a reminder of the club’s financial woes during the pandemic. The ongoing payments are a lingering consequence of the decisions made during a time of unprecedented economic hardship. Nonetheless, the Spanish giants are now on the cusp of closing this chapter.
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, left Barcelona in 2021 under difficult circumstances. Despite both Messi and Barcelona’s desire for him to stay, the club’s financial situation, particularly their inability to meet La Liga’s salary cap rules, made it impossible for Messi to remain at the club. He subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two seasons before making the high-profile move to Inter Miami in 2023.
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, two Barcelona legends who played a pivotal role in the club’s success over the years, followed Messi to Inter Miami in 2023 after completing the 2022-23 season with Barcelona. Their departures marked the end of an era for Barcelona, as the club sought to rejuvenate its squad while also easing its financial burdens.
Despite their exits, the deferred payment agreements mean that Messi, Busquets, and Alba have remained on Barca’s payroll, at least until the end of the 2024-25 season. The club has been making regular payments to the players, honoring the agreements made during the pandemic when financial survival was the priority.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
