The Argentine is a safe bet and Barcelona has not wanted to do experiments with soda. Has sealed the continuity of Leo covering of gold.
A little over three years, in June 2005, Txiki Begiristain, FC Barcelona's technical secretary, traveled to Holland for an urgent visit to Leo Messi, Argentina where he was disputing with the world youth championship. A tournament where he began his international prestige to forge proclaimed champion, best player and best scorer. Messi had just reaching 18 years (24th) and already had the legal age to sign his first professional contract without the need for parental permission. Until that day, any document that referred to Leo bore the signature of its parent, Jorge Messi, the man who has guided his career on a straight and proper. Barca also wanted to ensure the continuity of Leo, who in those days, being still young, he had already received a great offer from Inter Milan.
Today, October 2008, just three years after that encounter between Txiki and Leo in a hotel in Utrecht, we are ahead of the best paid footballer of FC Barcelona and Spain. All of this is a consequence of the unstoppable rise of the player and the great sensitivity at all times the club has had with his young star. The will and discretion on both sides have been instrumental in this transition was effected without lifting the slightest stir media. In fact, substantial improvement in contract Messi was carried out without leaks to the press and I knew that without the mass social Barca, unequivocal proof that the board did not want to use Leo to place any medal.
Leo has been a unique case in the history of FC Barcelona in five years because it has signed many contracts. The first as a youth player, the second as a Barca player B, the third as a professional footballer for all purposes of the first team and the fourth, which led to the extension of the same until 2014, already provided a number of very significant wage increases years a year.
This latest contract was the one who studied in a very detailed Joan Laporta, Ferran Soriano, Marc Ingla and Txiki Begiristain in the middle of last season. Knowing as they knew the stage Ronaldinho had come to an end, and that would leave the club, felt compelled to bet very fit and strong by giving Leo Messi and Ronaldinho had the rank. That is, number one. And therefore, the Argentine had to move to collect what was perceived ten Brazilian. No more, no less.
At this time, Leo Messi receives a gross annual tab of 8 million euros. For that amount we must add another 4 billion euros in gross concept of objectives: Champions League, League, a third title as the Copa del Rey and at least 60% of the matches players (not including encounters in which is low by injury). That is, at best, destabilizing, the end could receive a maximum of 12 million euros. Nobody in the Spanish football takes these figures and in the international market is only exceeded by little, Cristiano Ronaldo. Other international players that move in similar figures are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Inter, Milan's Kaká, Ronaldinho himself, and few more players. Therefore, it can be argued that Leo Messi is among the most select elite of world football.
When is the improvement of the contract signed between Leo Messi and FC Barcelona? Although no one believe it was carried out during the most difficult and convulsed the club's recent history: in the middle of the campaign's vote of censure against the president Joan Laporta. When it was not known whether the board would continue fulfilling its mandate, then the entity responsible for the shield to Blaugrana believed necessary Leo Messi for the present and the immediate future, in an act of responsibility and FC Barcelona. In fact, one of the hallmarks of the directive Barca, with Sandro Rosell, Soriano and England, is that they have never starred in any conflict with a footballer in the subject of his salary. Both sides have always managed to find the most appropriate and satisfactory agreement without the need media of provoking a conflict.