Former Barcelona Director Blames ‘Lionel Messi’s Entourage’ for Club’s Financial Crisis

Former Barcelona director Emili Rousaud identified the "embarrassing" behavior and high salaries of Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba as a major contributor to the club's ongoing financial problems. Rousaud explained that while Lionel Messi's enormous salary was justified by his unique status as the world's best player and revenue generator, the trio, part of Messi's entourage, pressured the club president for raises they didn't merit based on their ability. This created "absurd inflation" in the wage structure, with players like Piqué becoming the highest-paid defenders globally despite not being the best.

Rousaud claimed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, which drastically reduced matchday revenue critical for Barcelona, "Messi's entourage," including Piqué, Busquets, and Alba, refused to take pay cuts to help the club financially, stating they "didn't spare a single euro," which embarrassed him as a fan. This financial strain ultimately forced Messi to leave in 2021 because the club couldn't afford any contract for him.

Later that same year, Barcelona confirmed that Piqué, Busquets, and Alba accepted wage reductions to facilitate Sergio Agüero's signing, with Piqué calling it necessary and expressing pride in the decision. Despite these measures, Barcelona continues to face severe financial difficulties. Recent examples include needing Spanish government intervention to register Dani Olmo last season and Nico Williams reportedly rejecting the club this summer due to concerns about suffering a similar registration fate.