Barcelona

Koeman urges Barcelona to sack person responsible for Lionel Messi contract leak

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 01 February 2021

Koeman urges Barcelona to sack person responsible for Messi contract leak

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman insists that any Blaugrana employee involved in Lionel Messi's contract leak "cannot have a future" at the club.

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has demanded that the club sack anyone who may have been involved in Lionel Messi's contract leak.

Details of the Argentine's mammoth deal were published in a report by El Mundo, which stated that the £492m contract would "ruin" Barcelona financially.

Former Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu has already denied having any involvement over the leak, and Koeman has insisted that anyone at the club found responsible will suffer severe consequences.

Speaking to reporters after Barca's 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, Koeman said: "I don't understand how anyone could link Messi to Barca's ruin.

"He has spent years proving his quality and doing great things for this club, helping it win many important trophies. Whoever published this had bad intentions and wanted to cause Barca damage.

"But we have to be united and focused, we have to forget about whatever has been published. Without Leo we couldn't aspire to win very much.

"We have known for a very long time that he is the best player in the world, he has done so much for this club and is decisive.

"We have to respect everything Messi has done. If this was someone from the club they cannot have a future here."

Messi scored his 650th goal for Barcelona - a sublime free kick - in their victory over Athletic at the weekend, but he is still expected to move on when his deal expires in the summer.