"That rat of the canals is running a dictatorship in Barça", the interceptions that accuse Leo Messi

2023-01-12 14:39:00, Sport CNA

Some interceptions between the former leaders of Barcelona as they attacked and insulted the star Lionel Messi have been made public by the Spanish media "Sport.es". The messages date back to early 2021, when the Argentine was in the final months of his contract with the Blaugrana.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was labeled a "sewage rat" in the messages and accused of establishing an internal dictatorship within the club regarding transfer and renewal policies.

The protagonists of the conversations on WhatsApp are former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, former CEO Oscar Grau, financial director Pancho Schroder, director of Strategy and Innovation Javier Sobrino and other managers such as Jordi Moix, Oriol Tomàs and David Bellver. However, the most eloquent of all is Román Gómez Ponti, at the time head of Barca's legal services, whose electronic devices the Mossos d'Esquadra intercepts originated from.

The hottest talks were made during January 2021 and the Bartomeu era had already ended a few months ago: “Barto, really, you can't be so kind to this sewer rat. The club gave him everything and he devoted himself to it by setting up a dictatorship of signings, transfers, renewals, sponsors… just for him.

Shifrave të kontratës së tij i duhet shtuar edhe Pinto, rinovimi i Suarezit dhe ai i Zhordi Alba, komisioni i rinovimit të Ansu Fatit… Dhe mbi të gjitha akumulimi i shantazheve dhe vrazhdësisë që klubi dhe ne që punojmë për të kemi pësuar nga ky xhuxh hormonal që ia ka borxh jetën Barçës”, shkruante Ponti.

Ish-kreu i shërbimeve ligjore Blaugrana më pas zbulon se Mesi në vitin 2020 kishte bërë presion që të mos ulte pagën e tij dhe të mikut të tij Suarez : “Kur gjërat shkojnë keq (referenca është në vitin e shpërthimit të pandemisë,) ju merrni mesazhin mitik: ‘President, uli rrogat e të tjerëve, por mos më prek mua dhe Luisin’. Le të shpresojmë që ai të kalbet mes indiferencës së njerëzve, që është gjëja më e keqe që mund t’i ndodhë”.

Bartomeu does not distance himself from his colleague: "I agree on many things. We have heard Leo many times, not always, but many times. This contract without a pandemic would be completely acceptable."

Ponti, referring to the need to cut some players whose performance is declining, including Gerard Pique, does not mince words: "You have to have a few scruples and be a great son of someone...

Under your leadership, the club has to deal with a drastic reduction in the first team wage bill, all the more so after the unpresentable, obnoxious and despicable attitude of a spoiled and callous millionaire staff who refused to agree with the club on the minimum measures to ensure our economic stability, despite the suffering of the people", concluded Ponti.