Ex-Barcelona stars Lionel Messi & Gerard Pique allegedly asked to send signed shirts to UEFA chief by disgraced former RFEF president Luis Rubiales amid attempt to divert funds

Rubiales held video conferences with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Barcelona stars Messi and Pique over a period of three months to discuss the possibility of diverting funds to players affected financially by the pandemic in 2020, according to The Objective. It was proposed that four percent of broadcasting rights for UEFA matches could be used to help players who had been forced to take pay-cuts because of the pandemic. Messi is said to have highlighted the need for confidentiality during the talks as he feared a backlash if the discussions ever came to light.

The pandemic saw football cancelled across the globe due to lockdown measures and many players take salary reductions. Messi confirmed at the time that Barcelona players would take 70% paycuts in a bid to help the club cut losses due to the pandemic. The Objective reports that leaked messages and audio have revealed Rubiales suggested redirecting funds to players whose salaries had been affected to Ceferin. The four men then held a four-hour video call to discuss the issue and subsequently exchanged several messages.

As reported by AS, Rubiales allegedly told Ceferin: "I say it is important for us to have Messi and the rest with us. There is no need to spend money. We just change where the funds go."

Rubiales also suggested Pique and Messi send a signed Barcelona shirt to Ceferin "as a token of gratitude".

The conversations between Rubiales and the Barcelona stars took place during April and May of 2020, with the Catalan giants finally returning to action in La Liga in June. However, Barcelona ended the financial year by announcing financial losses of €97 million (£88m/$114m) due to COVID, while Messi ended up leaving the club a year later for PSG as they could not afford to hand the superstar a new contract.