“Barcelona are not in the 1:1 rule” - Javier Tebas makes worrying claim after Catalans’ failed Lionel Messi pursuit
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently made a worrying claim about Barcelona after their failed pursuit of Lionel Messi.
Barca were interested in bringing Messi back to Camp Nou as he is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent this moneth. However, they couldn't and the Argentine will join MLS club Inter Miami as a result.
Speaking about the Blaugrana's financial situation, Tebas said (via Barca Universal):
"Messi? We have always been very clear. Barça are not in the 1:1 rule, they are at 40%... They are far from being in the 1:1 rule."
The 1:1 rule states that the club can only spend as much amount as they bring in. When asked whether the Blaugrana's failed pursuit of Messi can cause other players to leave La Liga, Tebas said:
"Every year we have the same story... What would worry me is to have clubs with financial problems."
Why did Lionel Messi not return to Barcelona?
As Lionel Messi looked certain to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, fans expected to the player to return to Barcelona. However, that didn't eventually materialize.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner will write the next chapter of his career at the MLS. Speaking about his decision to choose Inter Miami and not Barcelona, Messi said (via SPORT):
"I really wanted to come back, I was really looking forward to it. But, on the other hand, after having lived through what I lived through, after the exit I had... I didn't want to go through the same situation again and have to wait to see what was going to happen. I didn't want to leave my future in the hands of others. Somehow, I wanted to make my own decision for myself, for my family."
He added:
"Even though I heard that they said that the league had accepted everything and that everything was OK for me to come back... there were still a lot of other things missing. I heard that they had to sell players or lower the salaries of players and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor be responsible or have anything to do with all that."
Messi left Barca in 2021 after the club were unable to renew his contract due to La Liga's wage cap rules. Two years have gone by and the club remain in a financial debacle.