In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen, former Barcelona FC President Sandro Rosell provides insight into Lionel Messi’s departure from the club and addresses allegations surrounding Neymar’s transfer.
Former Barcelona FC President Sandro Rosell has vehemently denied any connection between his 21-month prison sentence and the transfer of Brazilian player Neymar to the Catalan club during the 2013-2014 season.
In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen, Rosell refuted allegations, stating that he had been accused twice in the Neymar case and had been acquitted on both occasions. He asserted that the accusations were unfounded and merely aimed at portraying his actions as wrongful.
Rosell further revealed to Al Mayadeen the official cost of Neymar’s transfer at the time, amounting to 57.1 million euros. He clarified that Neymar faced accusations on two fronts: first, regarding tax allegations from the state, which were proven false, and second, from a Brazilian investment fund.
Addressing media reports linking Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona FC with his ownership of a company organizing friendly matches, Rosell stated that the company ceased to exist after Neymar’s transfer, refuting any association between the two.
Regarding accusations of receiving funds from Qatar for the 2022 World Cup or Neymar’s transfer being part of tax evasion, Rosell dismissed them as fabricated. He asserted that individuals falsely claimed he had undisclosed financial accounts, leading to baseless accusations and pretrial detention.
Rosell on Messi’s departure
During the interview, Rosell also shared his perspective on Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona. He expressed that had he been the president of Barcelona FC in 2021, he would not have allowed Messi to leave the team without compensation, emphasizing that necessary measures would have been taken to maximize the club’s benefit if Messi expressed a desire to leave.
When questioned about the responsibility for Messi’s departure, Rosell stated that the truth had emerged through various channels, but since he wasn’t privy to the details, he refrained from commenting.
He concluded by emphasizing the significance of Messi’s departure from Barcelona FC, describing it as a huge loss for the club and highlighting Messi’s impact on the MLS, stating, “All you have to do is watch the MLS, it’s thriving thanks to Messi. We’re talking about the best player in history.”
It is worth noting that Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021 due to the Barcelona club’s inability to afford his new contract under Financial Fair Play regulations in La Liga.
