A legal challenge to Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint Germain move has been filed at the European Commission.
The move seeks to block Messi’s move to PSG.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that the complaint is based on Financial Fair Play rule.
The petitioner, a lawyer to FC Barcelona, argues that PSG’s financial facts should rule them out of the running for Messi’s signature.
“PSG’s ratio with regards to Financial Fair Play is worse than Barcelona’s,” said Dr Juan Branco, in the statement sent to the Court of Appeals.
Branco filed the petition on behalf of Barcelona’s members.
“In 2019/20, 99 percent of PSG’s income was used for salaries, whereas it was 54 percent for Barcelona.
” Meanwhile, the difference has increased”.
“It is inconceivable that the ‘Financial Fair Play’ serves to aggravate the drifts of football-business, the instrumentalization of football by sovereign powers, and the distortion of competitions.”
Those behind the complaint claim that competition has been distorted by the French club’s spending, Marca reported.
He cites PSG’s heavyweight signings this summer.
Among them are Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Those players join Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Marco Verratti on PSG’s books.
The petitioner states that Joan Laporta’s reason for not being able to renew Messi’s contract was that, even with the player taking a 50 percent salary reduction, Barcelona’s salary would have been 110 percent of the cap imposed by the European body and by LaLiga.
The decision to block the move has to come before any contract is signed.
Otherwise, it would only serve to drag things out, the paper said.
According to reports, Messi due to be unveiled as a Paris Saint-Germain player at the Eiffel Tower on Monday.
He was reported to have flown to Paris after Sunday’s emotional press conference.
Messi posted an emotional message on Instagram thereafter saying:
“I would have liked to leave in a different way although I suppose that a farewell can never be something nice …
“I would have loved to continue here.
“I did everything with that objective and in the end it did not happen.
“I only have words of thanks for all those who have accompanied me in so many years at the club.
“And for our fans, that they gave me all their love and that I tried to give it back to them, also giving everything for this shirt.
“I’m leaving but it’s not goodbye, just see you later. Visit Barça !!! – Agency report.
