Lionel Messi may be plunged into a new major scandal: Gerard Pique reportedly asked the former president of the Spanish federation, Luis Rubiales, to use funds donated by UEFA to compensate for lost wages during Covid .
Not content with having secretly negotiated the organization of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, Gerard Piqué and Luis Rubiales are also suspected of having attempted to embezzle funds paid by UEFA. This is what reveals The Objective, a media outlet which obtained wiretaps between the former FC Barcelona defender and the ex-president of the Spanish federation (fired last year after forcibly kissing Jenni Hermoso). The 2010 world champion clearly plunges Lionel Messi into this possible big money scandal.
On April 2, 2020, Pique called Rubiales to discuss Messi’s concerns over salary deferrals at Barça due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Catalan leaders had decided on a salary reduction of up to 70% for its players. Rubiales then allegedly sent a voice message to Aleksander Ceferin, the UEFA president, to relay the request from Pique and “La Pulga”, asking him to use funds paid by UEFA to compensate for the shortfall. at the Blaugrana.
“I’m sending you this audio, it’s a message from Leo Messi”
Rubialas then explains: “They (in reference to Piqué and Messi, editor’s note) told me clearly that no one should find out that we are talking about this money because, if people find out, they will kill us. I am sending you this audio with a message from Leo Messi. It’s my voice, but it’s his message.”. The boss of the European body would have had this startling response: “even my dog won’t know”. Rubiales informed Piqué of Ceferin’s positive response and a call took place between the two Spaniards and Messi, visibly determined to pocket his five million monthly euros…
Two days later, Rubiales and Ceferin exchanged again on WhatsApp. The president of the federation puts the pressure on, tells the Slovenian that Leo Messi will have to be informed of the decision and recalls that the Ballon d’Or record holder is very worried about a possible leak on these financial negotiations. Rubiales then sent a proposal to Ceferin, that of drawing on TV rights to create a solidarity fund concerning unpaid salaries in La Liga but also in other divisions. The proposed deal could thus be considered as influence peddling by the courts.
