CELEBRITY
BARCELONA SET TO OFFER MESSI A PAY CUT
Another round of row appears imminent at FC Barcelona as the president, Josep Maria Bartomeu is expected to tell their reluctant icon, Lionel Messito take a pay cut for the forthcoming season.
According to 90min publication, that will be what the president will offer when he meets face to face for the first time since Messi reluctantly agreed to stay at the club.
Messi rocked Barçelona when he issued formal notice of his intention to trigger a much-debated clause in his contact allowing him to leave the club as a free agent this summer, his frustration at breaking point.
But Barça, backed by La Liga, rejected his request and the player refused to engage in a legal battle over the validity of the clause.
Whether Messi looks to leave next summer, when his contract is actually up and Barcelona have no control over the situation, is another matter.
But, for now at least, he remains in Catalonia and will spend the 2020/21 season at Camp Nou as club captain.
That means now having to deal with Bartomeu, whose presence as president is alleged to be one of the main issues, amid the club’s financial concerns.
According to Spanish broadcaster Deportes Cuatro, Bartomeu is tasked with cutting costs to alleviate the strain and will ask Messi and the rest of the squad to agree to a ‘significant’ wage cut.
It is explained that Barça recorded a loss of €98m for the 2019/20 season, which could have been far worse still without the €72m sale of Arthur Melo to Juventus.
It is therefore vital to cut costs and Bartomeu will have to negotiate with Messi, who will be representing the whole squad in his role as skipper.
Messi and the Barcelona squad agreed to a 70% pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic in late March, but the Argentine wasn’t happy with the club handled the situation when it was suggested that the players might have been reluctant to accept the reduction to help.
“Before going any further, we want to make it clear that we were always willing to reduce our salaries because we understand perfectly that we are in an exceptional situation. We, as players, are always here to help the club when they ask,” Messi said at the time.
“It does not cease to surprise us that from within the club there were those who tried to put us under the magnifying glass and tried to add pressure to do something that we always knew we would do.”
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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