Former Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has hit out at critics of Lionel Messi's salary.
El Mundo has been heavily criticised for publishing details of Messi's current contract - including the total amount of €555m the Argentine is taking home for the length of the deal.
Mestre, who hasn't been the Argentine's strongest ally, said, "Messi is not ruining Barça. We were making 1,000 million euros and his salary was affordable. And it is Messi who guaranteed us these inflows of money. Anyone who says that Messi is ruining Barça has no idea of the reality of the case, or is in bad faith.
"I don't understand why the contract is being disclosed now, when it was signed three years ago. Only those who keep it and lawyers have access to it.
"The complaint? Messi does it because he has reasons, it is his right."
