Lionel Messi: Barcelona lawyers move to block Argentine’s move to PSG with FFP complaint

Lionel Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain could be in doubt after a group of lawyers representing Barcelona’s members filed a complaint to the European Commission in an attempt to block the French club from signing the forward.

Messi waved goodbye to Barcelona on Sunday at an emotional press conference after he was unable to extend his 21-year stay with his boyhood club due to financial reasons.

Although a deal had been agreed between the two parties, La Liga rules prevented Barcelona from registering Messi as a new player as the club’s wage bill stood at more than 70 per cent of its turnover.

Despite Messi publicly declaring that he wants to stay at Barcelona, and insisting that he did everything he could to remain at the club, PSG appear to be in pole position to sign the Argentine.

A deal is expected to be completed in the next 48 hours, with Messi stating that joining PSG is “a possibility” as he looks to compete for trophies and win more major honours in the game.

But, in a document posted on Twitter by lawyer Juan Branco, a complaint has been filed to the European Commission in an attempt to block the move.

The statement read: “On behalf of FC Barcelona partners, my firm has prepared a complaint with the European Commission and demands for provisional suspension before civil and administrative courts in France to prevent Paris-Saint Germain from signing Lionel Messi.

“PSG’s ratios in terms of ‘Financial Fair Play’ are worse than those of FC Barcelona. In 2019-2020, PSG’s salary-to-income ratio was 99 per cent, while Barcelona’s was 54 percent.”

The complaint also claims that PSG’s salary-to-income ratio has since increased following a summer of increased spending.

PSG have already signed Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, adding to a star-studded squad that includes Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Marco Verratti.

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