Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has urged UEFA to launch an investigation into FC Barcelona following their heavy spending in the latest transfer window, amid speculation linking them with a spectacular Lionel Messi reunion.
When football was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many clubs across Europe were burdened by the financial implications of the sport coming to an abrupt stop.
Read: Barca exec drops huge Messi hint
Following the resumption of matches, fans were not allowed in the stadiums for a few months, thus creating further fiscal ramifications.
Barcelona, in particular, were hit hard by the pandemic, with president Joan Laporta announcing in August 2021 that the club had accumulated debt of €1.35 billion (R23.4 billion), which subsequently led to Lionel Messi leaving the Blaugrana as they could not afford to offer him a new deal.
In the latest transfer window, though, the Blaugrana spent €153 million (R2.6 billion) on the arrivals of Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski and Marcos Alonso, among others, per Football Transfers.
Given the fact that the club were not out of the woods yet financially, they had sold 25% of their LaLiga television rights for the next 25 years, plus a large stake of their merchandising department, which seemingly allowed them to buy and register all their new signings.
However, with Messi having been heavily linked this week with a return to the Camp Nou at the end of this season, PSG chief Al-Khelaifi believes Barca's "pulling of the levers" was not done in line with UEFA regulations, and has urged European football's governing body to look into the Spanish giants' recent financial activity.
"Is this fair? No, it's not fair… Is it legal? I'm not sure," the Qatari businessman told POLITICO.
"If they allow them, others will do the same. UEFA, of course, have their own [financial] regulations.
"For sure, they're going to look at everything.
Read: The one thing that 'would stop' Messi from rejoining Barca
"The new financial sustainability rules are a positive development. But we need to be careful.
"Dangerous levels of debt and magical equity deals are not a sustainable path."
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