The Camp Nou outfit have been mired in financial troubles over the past year, with the club unable to re-sign Lionel Messi ahead of the current campaign and several players forced to see their wages slashed to meet financial fair play rules.
The defender is one player who took a major reduction
Gerard Pique has hit back at claims he still earns a €28 million annual salary at Barcelona by posting a screenshot of his bank statement on social media. The Camp Nou outfit have been mired in financial troubles over the past year, with the club unable to re-sign Lionel Messi ahead of the current campaign and several players forced to see their wages slashed to meet financial fair play rules. Pique is one player who took a major reduction, only for media reports to suggest that he, along with team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, had merely deferred his wages earlier this week. Still, the centre-back has angrily responded to the claims. “People like this are paid by public television to defend their friends,” the 34-year-old wrote on Twitter. “Here is 50% of my salary as of 30 December. Have a bit of respect for yourself.”
Pique, Busquets and Alba gave up part of their salary
Underneath, the player attached a screenshot that suggested he is currently earning a fraction of what has been reported. Barcelona released a statement that read: “About comments made by Lluis Canut, Barcelona would like to clarify the following. 1. The information on the salaries of certain first-team players has not, in any case, been supplied by the club, and its origin is unknown. 2. In any case, the amounts referred to in the information are erroneous and do not conform to reality. Furthermore, in the case of the first three players referred to Pique, Busquets and Alba, it gives fixed amounts which, as the sums involved are based on variables, will possibly never be reached. 3. It is also false that the aforementioned players have only deferred their salary. Pique, Busquets and Alba gave up part of their salary when they signed contract renewals last summer.’
“We consider it inappropriate, unprofessional, and that Canut has acted in bad faith by offering this information as truthful. We regret that data of this type is provided because it infringes the personal rights of the players and deserves when the information is true confidentiality.” Amid their continued struggles, the Blaugrana have found it difficult to register new players owing to the financial restrictions they are working under. While Sergio Aguero’s forced retirement has opened up a gap, the club has still been forced to offload players to facilitate the arrival of additional stars this January, such as Ferran Torres. Philippe Coutinho has been shipped back to the Premier League on loan, heading to Aston Villa, but Barca may still have to offload more players to include their new recruits.