Barcelona candidate Rousaud: Messi must make a sacrifice to stay

Barcelona presidential candidate, Emili Rousaud has said he’s prepared to see Lionel Messi leave.

The Argentine’s current deal ends in 2021 and he’ll be free to talk to clubs from January 1 ahead of a free transfer next summer.

“We’ll have to sit down with Messi and ask him to make a salary cut,’ Rousaud told ARA. “Right now, with things as they are, it’s unsustainable.

“We’ll ask him to make the sacrifice. If there’s no agreement, then Messi will leave.”

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Rousaud, who was formerly Barcelona’s vice president, is aware of the No.10’s importance to the club, even though he asked to leave the Camp Nou in the summer.

“Messi has written the most brilliant pages in the club’s history,” Rousaud added. “We have to honour our legends, but the reality is what it is.

“I believe that things have to be said as they are. We can’t fool our members. We’ll make every effort to ensure he stays, but always with the interests of the club first.”