Former Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revisited one of the most delicate moments of his tenure. According to his account, the club rushed to renew Lionel Messi due to a very real and immediate threat. The warning was clear: a major club was allegedly preparing to trigger his release clause.
This revelation dates back to the summer when Neymar left Barça for Paris Saint-Germain after paying €222 million. That transfer shook the club’s entire structure, but what followed created even more concern internally.
According to Bartomeu, alerts reached the board that another club was ready to go even further. The figure mentioned was staggering: €400 million to sign Messi, a move that would have changed football history overnight.
A renewal driven by urgency and fear
Faced with that scenario, Barça acted immediately. Bartomeu explains that they sat down with Messi and his father to secure his future as quickly as possible.
The result was the famous 2017 renewal, signed in November, which included a massive €700 million release clause. The idea was simple: make it practically impossible for any club to take him away.
Bartomeu also defended the financial package agreed at the time. In his view, Messi was not only the best player in the world, but also a key economic pillar for the club, justifying the scale of the deal.
The shadow of Neymar’s exit changed everything
The departure of Neymar had already shown that even “impossible” deals could happen. If one club had paid €222 million, another could realistically attempt something even bigger.
That fear pushed Barça into a defensive strategy: protect Messi at all costs. Losing him right after Neymar would have been, internally, a sporting and institutional catastrophe.
The 2020 burofax also resurfaces
Bartomeu also addressed the famous 2020 episode when Messi sent a burofax expressing his desire to leave. He admitted that he never seriously considered allowing the departure, given the player’s importance.
From his perspective, Messi was essential both on the pitch and financially. Convincing him to stay became a priority, even in one of the most tense moments in the club’s recent history.
More controversy: finances and the Negreira case
During the same interview, Bartomeu also spoke about the Negreira case. He insisted that payments were made for reports, not for influencing referees, denying any wrongdoing.
He also rejected accusations of having ruined the club financially. According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic caused losses of around €500 million, heavily impacting Barça’s economy.
The interview has reopened several sensitive chapters in Barça’s recent history. But one statement stands above the rest: there was a moment when the club genuinely feared losing Messi to a €400 million move.
Discover more from Barça Buzz
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
