FC Barcelona have faulted a report which revealed that the likes of Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are receiving double digits salary per year at the club.
Recently, Catalan television presenter Lluis Canut claimed on TV3 that Gerard Pique is the highest-paid player at FC Barca. The presenter said Pique earns €30 million per year at the club. He also claimed that Sergio Busquets earns €20 million per year while Alba is earning €23 million per year.
The presenter was reportedly trying to use the information to prove that the high wages the players are earning forced the club into the financial crisis the club is currently battling with.
Recall that ahead of the 2021-2022 season, it was reported that Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba signed new contracts with FC Barcelona. It was also reported that the three players accepted a 50 percent pay cut before they signed the contract to help the club in their effort to end the club’s financial crisis.
To the dismay of many supporters of FC Barcelona, Mr. Canut presented figures that contradicted the claim that the three players accepted a 50 percent pay cut last summer.
In reaction to Canut’s claim,
Gerard Pique took to his Twitter page on Friday, January 7, to share a screenshot of his online banking which appeared to prove that 50 percent of his annual salary amounts to €2.3 million.
The Spanish football star tweeted: “People like this are paid by public television to defend their friends. Here you have 50% of my salary as of 30 December. Respect yourself a little.”
Personatges com aquest cobrant d’una televisió pública per defensar els seus amics. Aquí tens el 50% de la meva nòmina cobrada a 30 de desembre. Respecta’t una mica. https://t.co/luHsMMqJD8 pic.twitter.com/l4IAtqvexU
— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) January 7, 2022
On the part of FC Barcelona, a statement from the club insisted that Mr. Canut’s report is erroneous, describing the comments of the presenter as unprofessional and improper.
In the statement, the club stressed that it was false that the three players only deferred 100% of their salary, confirming that the players forgone part of their salary before they renewed their contracts last summer.
“The information on the salaries of certain first-team players has not, in any case, been provided by the club and its origin is unknown”, an official statement from Barcelona read.
“In any case, the amounts referred to in the information are erroneous, do not correspond to reality and, furthermore, in the case of the first three players referred to, it gives fixed amounts which, being variable, will possibly never be merited.
“It is false that the players mentioned have only deferred 100% of their salary. Mr. Piqué, Mr. Busquets, and Mr. Alba waived part of their salary when they signed their last contract renewal last summer.
“We consider it improper, unprofessional and acting in bad faith when this information is offered as true and truthful and regret that information of this type is provided which affects the personal rights of the players and which deserves, when true, the highest confidentiality.”
