'Sewer Rat', 'hormonal dwarf': Derogatory comments made by ex-Barca official on Lionel Messi in leaked chat

Former Barcelona legend and Argentina captain Lionel Messi was called 'sewer rat' and 'hormonal dwarf' by Barcelona's former head of legal services Roman Gomez Pontiin leaked WhatsApp messages, according to SPORT. The publication acquired a series of WhatsApp messages exchanged between the former Barca board, which indicated an intense animosity towards Messi.

The WhatsApp messagesalso comprised Josep Maria Bartomeu, ex-CEO Oscar Grau,executives Jordi Moix, Oriol Tomas, and David Bellver, former CFO Pancho Schroder and Director for Strategy & Innovation Javier Sobrino.This happened soon after aleak ofMessi's contract with El Mundo led to a huge uproar among the board members. Hence, they took to the WhatsApp group with Ponti passing several derogatory comments onMessi.

As per the SPORT, Ponti reportedly told Bartomeu and the group in Spanish: "Barto, really, you can't be such a good person with this sewer rat. The club has given him everything and he has dedicated himself to marking a dictatorship of signings, transfers, renewals, sponsors just for him, etc."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The former head of legal services then asserted, "I will never be able to do it but to the figures of his contract should be added Pinto, the renewal of Suarez, and Jordi Alba, or the renewal fee of Fati (Rodrigo Messi, agent?). But he doesn't even know how to read and on top of that he had a drug dealer as a partner)."

Ponti then went ahead and accusedMessi of blackmail, before labellinghim as a "hormonal dwarf". "And above all, the accumulation of blackmails and disrespect that the club and those of us who work at the club have suffered from this hormonal dwarf who owes Barcelona his life... ah!"

Ponti added, "But when things go wrong (pandemic) you receive the mythical WhatsApp message: 'presi, lower the salary of the others, but don't touch me and Luis'. I hope he leaves amidst the indifference of the people, which is the worst thing that can happen to him."

To this, the former CEO Grau reportedly responded by saying, "I agree on many things, but first Barcelona and this type of article hurts the club's image."

It is to be noted that Messi left Barcelona in mid-2021 after the end of his contract. It was an emotional exit for the Argentine whobecame a part of Barcelona's youth academy at the age of 13 and later went onto become an integral part of the Spanish club, ending with as many as 672 goals.

After his Barcelona exit, Messi joined French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and his contract will end in 2022-23 and is yet to officially extend his stay in the French capital.