Former RFEF president Luis Rubiales allegedly attempted to allocate UEFA funds to Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique during the COVID pandemic.
According to The Objective, Rubiales engaged in video conferences with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Barcelona stars Messi and Pique over a three-month period to explore the possibility of using broadcasting rights revenue from UEFA matches to assist players facing financial hardships due to the pandemic.
It was suggested that four percent of these rights could be diverted to aid players who had undergone pay cuts as a result of the pandemic.
Messi reportedly emphasized the importance of maintaining confidentiality during the discussions, fearing potential backlash if details were to emerge.
The global lockdown measures implemented during the pandemic led to the suspension of football activities and resulted in many players accepting salary reductions.
At the time, Messi confirmed that Barcelona players would take a 70% pay cut to support the club in mitigating financial losses caused by the pandemic.
The Objective further reveals that leaked messages and audio recordings indicate Rubiales proposed redirecting funds to players who had experienced salary cuts directly to Ceferin.
Subsequently, the four individuals engaged in a four-hour video call to deliberate on the matter and continued to exchange messages thereafter.
As reported by AS, Rubiales allegedly told Ceferin: “I say it is important for us to have Messi and the rest with us. There is no need to spend money. We just change where the funds go.”
Rubiales also suggested Pique and Messi send a signed Barcelona shirt to Ceferin “as a token of gratitude”.
The discussions between Rubiales and the Barcelona players occurred between April and May of 2020, coinciding with the Catalan club’s resumption of La Liga action in June.
Despite their return to the field, Barcelona faced significant financial challenges, as evidenced by their announcement of a €97 million (£88m/$114m) loss at the end of the financial year due to the impact of COVID.
Ultimately, Messi departed the club a year later to join PSG, as Barcelona was unable to afford a new contract for the superstar.