How Much Lionel Messi & Barcelona's Top Stars Will Earn After Coronavirus Pay Cut
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has confirmed that the first-team squad at Camp Nou has agreed to take a 70% pay cut while football remains suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, although not without pressure from the club hierarchy to do so.
Messi noted in a social media post that Barcelona players were already prepared to forgo some of their wages in order to ensure that the club can still afford to keep other staff in jobs at a difficult time when many revenue streams have dried up.
Here’s a closer look at how much Messi and his top teammates might now be earning…
*figures are sourced from best estimates where possible.
Antoine Griezmann
It was reported just prior to Antoine Griezmann finally joining Barcelona from Atletico Madrid that he would be earning similar at Camp Nou as he did in the Spanish capital.
For this season, that figure is €18m, which breaks down to around €346,000 per week.
After the 70% cut, it’s going to be just shy of €104,000.
Ousmane Dembele
Details of Ousmane Dembele’s Barcelona contract details were leaked in Germany not long after he made the switch from Borussia Dortmund. His annual pay at Camp Nou is €12m.
€12m per year is the equivalent of just over €230,000 per week. Now, it will be €69,000.
Frenkie de Jong
Before bonuses, which he won’t be triggering without games, Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong was reported when his pre-arranged move was announced to be on basic €10m annual salary.
That is €192,000 per week, or now just €58,000 after it has been cut back to 30%.
Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets’ last contract extension is reported to be worth a base €14.95m per season, or the equivalent of €287,500 if it is broken down weekly.
At 30% of its usual value after the coronavirus cut that is a shade over €165,000 instead.
Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez will be entitled to a new Barça contract if he plays if plays in 60% of the club’s games next season. Currently, he is estimated to earn €450,000 per week.
Cut to deal with the side effects of the coronavirus pandemic, that drops to €135,000
Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique’s annual wages are an estimated €13.3m, including bonuses, or €256,000 per week. That means his basic salary alone is probably less than that at this time.
€76,850 is the maximum the World Cup-winning centre-back is going to be earning after the cut.
Lionel Messi
The Football Leaks platform revealed in 2018 that Lionel Messi is on a basic annual salary at Barcelona, before bonuses, of €71.5m. Weekly, that pre-tax figure is just shy of €1.4m.
The remaining 30% that he will continue to be paid, before taxes, is €409,926.
Imagine still being paid that much money as a basic salary after a 70% cut.
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