Madrid: The leak of the multimillion dollar contract signed by Lionel Messi has brought attention to the high amount of taxes soccer players pay in Spain. It has prompted La Liga officials to raise concerns about the departure of top stars from the league. Details of the 555 million euro (USD 671 million) contract of Lionel Messi over four seasons were released by the ‘El Mundo’ newspaper Sunday. It upset Barcelona and instigated the promise of lawsuits.
The contract made headlines everywhere. Spanish league president Javier Tebas took the opportunity Monday to underline the high amount of taxes owed by Messi. He noted that the Argentina great has to pay about 270 million euros (USD 326 million) in taxes. It is, nearly half of the value that Messi has signed in the new contract.
Tebas said that in Italy, for example, a player with a similar contract would have to pay about 135 million euros (USD 163 million) in taxes. “We will have an exodus of talent to other countries,” Tebas wrote on Twitter. “The (league) will lose players who help generate 1.37% of the country’s GDP and more than 180,000 jobs,” he added.
Tebas has long criticised Spain’s tax requirements for soccer players. He has said they put the league at a disadvantage in transfer negotiations. He has pushed for the Spanish government to change some of its tax rules that may scare some players away. Rules in Italy and France are considered less strict on players than in Spain.
Local tax authorities in Spain have been going after soccer stars in recent years. They have accused several of them of fraud over how they have interpreted the local laws, especially regarding image rights. Authorities amped their monitoring of players’ tax filings and have been making a point of bringing attention to alleged irregularities.
Messi himself was convicted of tax fraud in Spain in 2017. He received a 21-month suspended prison sentence that ended up as a fine.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar also were among the several players targeted by authorities. Neymar left for French club Paris Saint-Germain and Ronaldo for Italian team Juventus. José Mourinho was investigated as well for the time he was coach of Real Madrid.
Contract details
Among the details on Messi’s leaked contract was a fidelity clause and a bonus for signing an extension back in 2017. ‘El Mundo’ said Monday that Messi had to learn Catalan. He was encouraged to ‘make every effort to integrate into Catalan society’. The Spanish daily also said Messi asked to be relieved of the contract if the Catalonia region gained independence from Spain.
The 33-year-old Messi has been with Barcelona for nearly two decades. He has helped the club win more than 30 titles. He asked to leave the club last season but his request was denied. He can leave for free at the end of this season.