Lionel Messi and other Barcelona stars against pay cut proposal, write letter to the club

Things haven't been all smooth sailing at Barcelona since the previous season. The summer saw the club publicly duel with legend Lionel Messi, which made him seek an exit from the club. Although he went on to stay, the player seemingly continues to have a troublesome relationship with the club. Now, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has written a letter opposing the Barcelona pay cut proposal that has been in discussion for a while. 

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Lionel Messi, other captains oppose pay cut proposal

Barcelona suffered heavy financial losses during the coronavirus pandemic and were forced to initiate a wage cut a few months back. At first, the team's players readily agreed to the idea, citing it as an unconventional situation. But the financial situation hasn't improved a bit, courtesy of a hefty Barcelona wage bill. 

President Josep Maria Bartomeu has been working on another Barcelona pay cut proposal. But the team's response hasn't been decent to the idea this time around. According to a report by El Mundo, Messi and other Barcelona captains have written a letter to the club's board of directors. 

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Captains slam Barcelona's way of dealing with crisis

The letter informs the board that the players are embarrassed by the pay cut proposal, while also describing it as an attempt to malign the club superstars. The captains have clearly informed the club that they will not tolerate Barcelona violating their rights. Besides Messi, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto are the other captains of the club. 

The captains did not shy away from slamming the club's way of dealing with the crisis. They feel that the club are annoyed and disappointed. The first team players are also not willing to get on to the negotiating table with the club hierarchy. Messi and his team feel that with just one representative as averse to 13 members of the board, their voice goes unheard. 

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Messi wages estimated at €565,000

Meanwhile, the Argentine is in his final season and is yet to extend his contract. Messi's wages, estimated at €565,000 according to Goal, is the highest in the club. The legend's wages form a major component of the Barcelona wage bill. Besides, the Antoine Griezmann wages have been estimated at €325,000, which is only second to Messi's. 

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Image courtesy: Barcelona Twitter