Lionel Messi is currently between a rock and a hard place after being involved in the latest scandal. There was a leaked report earlier that the Argentinian superstar alongside Gerard Pique held negotiations with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, keeping ex-RFEF president Luis Rubiales in the loop to ‘divert’ funds to compensate their salary losses due to COVID-19. But the latest word suggests that it is La Pulga responsible for the whole controversy. 

Renowned Spanish commentator Álvaro Nieto didn’t spare the Inter Miami star during the latest discussion on El Partidazo de COPE. He said, “The first one who was nervous about the salary reduction was Messi.” Nieto added that the whole influence-peddling was ignited by the former Barcelona skipper: “Messi conveyed his concern to Piqué, and he conveyed his concern to Rubiales.”

Notably, the incident was brought to light by the Spanish outlet, The Objective, which released a series of WhatsApp messages as well as leaked audio of all four having a conversation to benefit the star players at the time of the pandemic. After a 70% wage cut was announced, Pique, in an hour-long conversation with Rubiales, expressed Messi’s concerns. The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation then reached Ceferin, proposing the idea of ‘using UEFA funds’ to reimburse the players’ financial losses. 

The leaked conversations further saw both Ceferin and Rubiales insisting on keeping things confidential. “If people find out, they are going to kill us,” said the former Spanish chief in one of the conversations. Possibilities were explored of redirecting funds to benefit Messi and other affected stars, while still providing financial support to smaller teams. While the efforts to keep the information secret were made, they had a plan!

A backup plan to prevent the reputations of Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué from being tarnished

After lengthy discussions with Luis Rubiales to bring Aleksander Ceferin on board, Gerard Pique was assured that Lionel Messi and other star players would get help with pay during salaries. If the issue had been exposed, they had a plan in their defense that the redirected funds would not only benefit high-profile names but also support lower-earning players. 

Either way, this revelation is quite shocking for the former Barcelona stars, especially Messi, who has been accused of initiating the whole controversy. Although no comments have been made since the scandal broke, it remains uncertain whether either individual will be summoned for investigation. If found guilty, they could face significant consequences