Bartomeu on Messi: "Leo didn't decide on player and coach transfers"

The former Barcelona president has addressed claims that Lionel Messi played a decisive role in the club's player and coach transfers. "Everyone talks about Leo's power when he was at Barça, but Messi didn't decide on transfers or coaches. He had no privileges," Bartomeu stated on Catalunya Radio.

"In August 2020, when Messi asked to leave, I told him no because he is our most important asset and one of our main sources of income. I couldn't grant him a free transfer, and furthermore, he was under contract. I think he understood, and that's why he stayed. He believed there would be a new board in a few months that would renew his contract. His surprise came when it was time to renew, and they let him go."

Regarding Barcelona's ongoing financial crisis, Bartomeu refutes the Laporta administration's claims of a "poisoned legacy," attributing the situation primarily to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. "At that time, Barça was a club in good sporting and financial health, growing and generating revenue. Covid caused a sharp drop in revenue, and in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Barça suffered a loss of 500 million euros, which had a significant impact on the club's finances."

Concerning the infamous Negreira scandal, he emphasized that he himself was under investigation until 2018, while he refused the judge's request to make some of the club's internal documents public, as Real Madrid had requested. "I didn't think it was fair for Real Madrid to see most of the club's internal documents. The issue of referee reports is something many teams have done, not just Barça."