Account
Lionel Messi Rumours: Lawyers for Barcelona Members Trying to Block PSG Contract
August 9, 2021
Paris Saint-Germain appear set to sign Lionel Messi, but Barcelona supporters apparently won't let him leave without a fight.
According to Sky Sports News, lawyers representing Barcelona members have filed a complaint to the European Commission and the European Court of Appeals to try to block PSG from signing the six-time Ballon d'Or winner:
The lawyers argue the signing would "violate fair-play rules" because PSG is in a worse financial situation than Barcelona, which couldn't fit Messi's contract into its wage limit.
Barcelona announced on Thursday that the two sides would be parting ways after 21 years because of La Liga restrictions. According to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN, Messi has agreed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain with an option for a third season.
The 34-year-old clarified at his farewell press conference Sunday that nothing was finalized with a new team.
"[PSG] is one possibility," Messi said. "There's nothing closed at the moment, but we're talking about a lot of things. After Barca's statement, a lot of clubs showed an interest. There's nothing final. But, of course, there are talks."
While it's true both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain operate with high wage bills, the difference is the cap placed upon Barca from La Liga.
La Liga President Javier Tebas warned Barcelona in June that it wouldn't be able to re-sign Messi without making cuts elsewhere. The club made a few smaller sales, but it also added to the wage bill with the additions of Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia.
PSG plays in Ligue 1, providing more flexibility to add Messi alongside other top players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and new signings Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Messi's arrival would make PSG a favorite to win the UEFA Champions League, providing Barcelona supporters with further incentive to try to block the move through the legal system.