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Last night El Mundo leaked confidential details regarding Lionel Messi’s demands to sign a new contract with Barcelona back in 2020.
The report included details such as the seven-time Ballon d’Or’s demands of a private box for his and Luis Suarez’s family at Camp Nou, €10 million renewal bonus and repayment for salary reductions among others.
Now, Barcelona have issued an official statement slamming the leaks, stating that the information made public was part of a judicial procedure. The statement from the Catalan giants reads as follows:
“In relation to the information published today in El Mundo del Siglo XXI , under the title ‘BarçaLeaks, the secret archives of the club, part 1’, FC Barcelona expresses its outrage at the interested leak of some information that would form part of a judicial procedure.
“The Club also regrets that the media outlet boasts of having had ‘access to a huge amount of documentation and emails that are in the possession of the Barçagate investigation’ when this information and documentation has not yet been shared with the parties.”
The statement further adds that Barcelona will consider taking legal actions against the media outlet due to the leaks of confidential information.
“In any case, the article in question makes public documents that have nothing to do with the investigation of the case and their use threatens the reputation and confidentiality of the Club.
“For this reason, and with the aim of protecting the rights of FC Barcelona, the Club’s legal services are already studying the appropriate measures to take.”
Messi eventually did not sign any new contract with the club and departed Barça last year as a free agent, joining Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal.