Lionel Messi’s Alleged Negotiations With UEFA for ‘Diversion’ of Funds Alongside Gerard Pique Leaks

• Luis Rubiales allegedly spoke with Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique during pandemic
• The former Barcelona superstars were concerned about finances due to pay cuts
• Reports suggest the discussions also involved UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin

Ex-RFEF president Luis Rubiales reportedly attempted to redirect UEFA funds to Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over three months in 2020, Rubiales held video conferences with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and former Barcelona stars Messi and Piqué to explore the possibility of diverting funds to financially impacted players.

The Objective reports that they proposed using four per cent of the broadcasting rights from UEFA matches to assist players who had taken pay cuts due to the pandemic.

During these talks, Messi reportedly emphasised the need for confidentiality, fearing a backlash if the discussions were made public.

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What happened during Covid pandemic?

During the pandemic, football was halted worldwide, leading many players to take salary reductions. Messi confirmed that Barcelona players agreed to a 70% pay cut to help the club mitigate losses.

According to GOAL, leaked messages and audio explains that Rubiales suggested to Ceferin the idea of redirecting funds to affected players.

The four men then held a four-hour video call to discuss the issue and exchanged several messages thereafter.

According to AS, Rubiales allegedly told Ceferin:

"It's important for us to have Messi and the others on our side. We don't need to spend additional money; we just need to redirect the funds." Rubiales also suggested that Piqué and Messi send Ceferin a signed Barcelona shirt "as a token of gratitude."

What happened next?

Rubiales and the Barcelona stars conversed during April and May of 2020, with the team resuming La Liga action in June.

Despite this, Barcelona closed the financial year with a €97 million (£88m/$114m) loss due to COVID-19. Unable to afford a new contract for Messi, he left the club for PSG a year later.