Messi’s gluttony with Barça
Incredible information about Messi’s transfer out of Barça got revealed. El Mundo has accessed many email exchanges between Jorge Messi, the player's father, and Catalan officials about the contract extension negotiations of the Argentinian genius.
The player, who was paid €74.9 million net per year the previous season, agreed to a 20% pay cut for the 2020/2021 season... but he wanted 10% back in 2021/2022 and 10% in 2022/2023, all with 3% interest. This demand would have increased the cost for Barça, but they accepted it, as well as a 10 million signing bonus, a room at the Camp Nou for the families of Messi and Luis Suarez, and a private plane for a return to Argentina at Christmas for La Pulga and his family.
However, according to El Mundo, Bartomeu did not accept Messi's final request, which was to reduce his €700m release clause to... 10 000. The player, therefore, wanted to be in control of his destiny, as any of his potential suitors would have had no problem paying the Catalan club this derisory sum.
Ronaldo may be eternal
Even though Cristiano is not in the best moment of his career, he announced having an ambitious goal: to play the Euro 2024 with Portugal. That’d mean he’ll be 39 at that moment.
�How about the Blues? �
Christoph Freund will not join Chelsea
Christoph Freund has been rumored to be joining Chelsea, but he will not be the sporting director the Blues are looking for.
Freund has officially rejected the London offer in a statement on RB Salzburg's official website :
"As I have already confirmed in interviews, Chelsea is interested in me. When such an important club approaches me, it is not only a credit to me but also the work of Red Bull Salzburg. But I have concluded that Red Bull Salzburg is the best place for me and that a change is not an option. We are in the middle of a very intense phase and we have important tasks in the Austrian Bundesliga, in the cup, and the Champions League."
According to The Athletic, the Blues are now approaching Oliver Mintzlaff, who’s working for another Red Bull club: Leipzig.
Chelsea’s caught in the tempest
Chelsea is plunged into a sex scandal as revealed by The Daily Telegraph. According to the newspaper, the Blues have sacked their commercial director Damian Willoughby. The information was confirmed in the paper by the club itself. He was sacked because of a series of "inappropriate messages" sent to Catalina Kim, a football agent who collaborates with the London club. She complained that she had been sexually harassed by him even before he was appointed to Chelsea at the beginning of September and that she had felt threatened on the phone since he started working there... In short, since the change of ownership Chelsea can’t stop making the headlines.
