"Cristiano Ronaldo wanted the same as Messi and went to Juventus" - Agent makes claim while speaking about Barcelona's wage strategy
Football agent Andre Cury has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to receive the same salary as Barcelona legend Lionel Messi motivated his move to Juventus in 2018. During a recent interview with Diario AS, Cury talked about how Barcelona's financial management and contract policies have contributed to their ongoing economic struggles.
Messi and Ronaldo were the two of the highest-paid players in the world when they were in LaLiga with Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
Cury, who owns Brazilian-based football agency Link Sports and was the former Barcelona representative for the Americas, recently claimed that the Catalan club’s wage policy is the reason for its current fiscal problems. The renowned agent criticized Barcelona's policy of repeatedly satisfying its players' financial demands. He added that Cristiano Ronaldo made similar demands at Real Madrid but was turned down by club president Florentino Perez.
Cury told Diario AS in an interview:
"Cristiano Ronaldo wanted the same thing as Messi and went to Juventus. Barça never sells, never makes money for its players. When a player is good, they give him more years and raise his salary. That was their problem until now. The players were earning so much that none of them wanted to leave, not even with a free transfer. Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets... Suárez went to Atleti with Barça paying part of his salary. People wanted to stay at the club forever."
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi still remain two of the highest-paid players in world football despite playing their trade outside Europe.
"It's more than double what they pay you" – When former Barcelona president said Cristiano Ronaldo was obsessed with Lionel Messi’s salary
Back in 2023, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu claimed Cristiano Ronaldo was obsessed with Lionel Messi’s salary. He stated that Ronaldo cornered at an awards ceremony in the company of former agent Jorge Mendes and questioned him about Messi's salary.
This was when the Portuguese superstar was playing for Real Madrid while his archrival was playing for Barcelona.
"I can't tell you, but it's more than double what they pay you," Bartomeu responded.
As per reports, the conversation took place shortly before Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid.