Bartomeu Spills the Beans: Neymar's Mega-Move and Covid Blamed for Barca's Financial Fiasco
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has defended his tenure in a radio interview, blaming Neymar's €222m departure and Covid-19 for the club's financial woes. He also revisited the Messi burofax saga, insisting he did right by blocking the star's exit. Bartomeu highlighted his achievements like trophies and stadium builds while praising Hansi Flick's appointment.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, the ex-Barcelona president who's still public enemy number one for many Culés, has finally piped up after years of silence. In a chat on El Matí de Catalunya Ràdio, he tackled the big beasts of his reign: the club's nose-dive finances and that whole messy Lionel Messi burofax debacle. Love him or loathe him, the man's got opinions – and he's pointing fingers everywhere but at himself.
Cash Crisis: Blame Game Begins with Neymar's Exit
Remember summer 2017? PSG rocked the boat by shelling out a whopping €222 million to snag Neymar Jr. from Barça. Bartomeu reckons that was the spark that lit the wage-bill bonfire. Suddenly, retaining stars meant doling out eye-watering contracts to the likes of Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, complete with release clauses ballooning to €400-700 million.
"We had to up the ante to fend off the big-spending state clubs and Premier League giants," he argued. Fair point? Maybe, but it left Barça's payroll looking like a bad bet at the bookies. Then, wham – Covid-19 hits like a Champions League final own goal. Revenues tanked, leaving a €500 million black hole over two seasons. Bartomeu insists he handed over a healthy club pre-pandemic; without it, no meltdown.
Fans weren't buying it back then, with 'Bartomeu dimissió!' chants shaking Camp Nou long before lockdowns. By October 2020, he jumped before being pushed, amid a no-confidence vote.
Messi's Burofax Bombshell: 'I Said No and Meant It'
Fast-forward to August 2020, and Messi drops his infamous burofax, begging for a free exit. Bartomeu was having none of it. "He's our golden goose, our revenue king," the former chief explained. "Under contract, no release letter – end of."
Messi stayed, eyeing a renewal under fresh leadership. But when Joan Laporta swept back in, promising the world before citing the finances as the killer, La Pulga was off to PSG. Bartomeu smirks that Leo got a shock when they 'fired him' – poetic justice, or just sour grapes?
Legacy: Trophies, Bricks, and a Flick of Approval
Bartomeu paints himself as the unsung hero, banging on about infrastructure wins like the Estadi Johan Cruyff and revamped La Masía. On the pitch? A Champions League triumph early doors in 2015, four La Liga titles, and four Copa del Rey cups. But let's be real – the last gasp was that humiliating 8-2 Bayern thrashing in 2020.
He's no fan of Laporta's crew, but gives props where due: appointing Hansi Flick is 'the best move in years'. That current title-chasing side? Partly his blueprint, he claims. Supervillain or scapegoat? You decide over your pint.
As reported by SI Soccer, Bartomeu's back in the fray, rewriting his Barça story. Whether it sways the haters remains to be seen, but it's stirred the pot in Catalonia once more.