Sandro Rosell has mused that Lionel Messi ‘must be the highest paid player in the world’, whilst defending him and Barcelona from recent allegations.
Focus has grown on the Argentine’s contract situation with the Catalans, with reports widely believing that initial talks over a renewal had been ongoing were denied by Vice-President Javier Faus and then Rosell himself.
However, talking today, the President has looked to address the situation, which has reportedly left the player unhappy.
“I have not spoken to him but the office door is open because Messi has to be the highest paid player in the world,” Rosell has told RAC 1 today.
“That is for the fact that he is the best player in the world.”
The 26-year-old is also the subject of reports this week based on allegedly being interviewed as a witness to allegations that his father used such events as his Messi and Friends summer friendlies to launder money for a drug trafficking organisation.
“The Ministry of Interior and Civil Guard have cleared Lionel Messi and his environment from any investigation. Yet, we are still suffering with attacks.
“Rather than with feeling, we must refer to the facts. The facts are what they are. You have to look at if they arrive suddenly or not.
“It is true that this is happen and it is true that it is happening after Barcelona have been on top for a number of years.
“The subtle aspects to it make you think. I hope that this has all been a coincidence of events. I mean nothing, only that it is a sum of events that have occurred at the same time. Hopefully there is nothing organised to this persecution.”
Barca are facing a European Commission investigation for alleging receiving illegal state aid, in the form of having paid less tax for the past 20 years for not being a registered corporation, like 16 current La Liga sides are.
“Barcelona meets Spanish law that says that an entity does not have to become a corporation. We have received no government assistance of any kind.”