Barca settles the score.

After nearly five years of struggling with financial crisis, Barca officially ended the long-standing wage debt that had lasted since Bartomeu's time, paying off 16 million euros to Messi, Koeman, Umtiti, and a host of veterans who had carried the team through its most difficult period.

Barcelona has finally paid off its debt to Lionel Messi.

After nearly five years of struggling with a severe financial crisis, FC Barcelona has finally closed a dark chapter in its history. They have paid all outstanding salaries to the stars who played for the club in the 2020 season.

A seemingly small act, but one with great significance – not only fulfilling a pledge of honor, but also representing the final cleansing step of a dynasty that once brought Barcelona to the brink of bankruptcy.

Messi, the one bearing the burden and also the biggest creditor.

The final payment of €16 million, due at the end of June 2025, marks the end of a €121.7 million salary deferral agreement – ​​encompassing nearly 43% of fixed salaries and all variable bonuses for a host of first-team stars. Since December 2021, Barca has been paying in eight installments. And now, the heavy door of Bartomeu's tenure officially closes.

It's not surprising that Lionel Messi is the player owed the most money. The living legend of Camp Nou once agreed to defer 47.6 million euros in salary payments when the club was in a state of crisis.

The remaining €5.96 million was transferred to him in the final payment. According to sources close to the matter, Messi and his agent confirmed that Barca had fulfilled all obligations – a move that could pave the way for a future reunion, in whatever form.

But the name that surprised many was Samuel Umtiti - who is second on the list of creditors, with 9.9 million euros overdue, stemming from his fixed salary of 23.1 million euros. Meanwhile, key players like Sergio Busquets (22 million), Griezmann (18 million), Jordi Alba (17.6 million), and Coutinho (15.9 million) are also on the list of overdue payments.

Messi once agreed to let Barcelona delay his salary payments.

It's worth noting that not all of them deserved the compensation they received. Some left behind great legacies; others, like Umtiti or Coutinho, are "relics" of a period of uncontrolled spending – where Barca paid salaries like a rich club but achieved results like a mid-table team.

Among those whose salaries were withheld was Ronald Koeman, the coach who was sacked midway through the 2021 season amidst a deep crisis of form and internal conflict. He was owed nearly 6 million euros, but has now been paid in full.

Notably, Koeman and President Joan Laporta have just publicly reconciled after more than two years of tension – a symbolic gesture to bring an end to their confrontation.

Three other members of Koeman's coaching staff, Henrik Larsson, Alfred Schreuder, and Albert Roca, also received salaries of less than 1 million euros – small figures, but ones that encapsulate an entire era of failure.

From debt to rebirth

The overall picture is not just about the numbers. It's a reminder of a Barca that once teetered on the brink – a time when the club had to call upon Carles Tusquets, an interim board, and hope for a revival from the election that brought Joan Laporta victory in March 2021.

President Joan Laporta has brought an end to Barcelona's dark era.

We also cannot forget the role of young players like Pedri, Ansu Fati, Araujo, or even the unsung heroes like Neto, Braithwaite, Junior Firpo... All of them have sacrificed their income to maintain the dwindling bloodline at Camp Nou.

And let's not forget the names in Barca B like Iñaki Peña, Oriol Busquets, Konrad de la Fuente..., who, although only reserves, still shoulder a portion of the financial responsibility.

The final payment of the debt was not just an act of closing the books. It was a statement that Barca had learned their lesson.

The blind extravagance of the past cannot be repeated. The new generation under Laporta – with Hansi Flick who understands the club's DNA, and a tightening financial model – will have to proceed more cautiously and responsibly.

Barcelona is no longer a club that breaks transfer records. But that could be a good thing. Because after all, the most valuable thing they've just proven is their ability to keep their word – even if it comes at the cost of years of struggle.

And in the modern world of football, sometimes keeping your word is even harder than keeping possession of the ball.

Source: https://znews.vn/barca-dut-no-post1564473.html