Ex-Barca director Mestre accuses Real Madrid of Leo Messi contract leak

Messi's current contract with Barca was leaked by El Mundo on Sunday.

Some suggest it was the club's former president Josep Maria Bartomeu or current interim president Carles Tusques who leaked the details of Leo' deal in an attempt to force him out of Camp Nou.

Bartomeu's former vice-president Jordi Mestre says it could be someone from Madrid behind the leak.

He also says that Bartomeu's board convinced Leo to stay in 2015 despite the Argentine's desire to quit the Blaugrana.

"Whenever Madrid goes bad, something controversial comes out against Barca and I don't believe in coincidences," former Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre said of Lionel Messi's contract leak in an interview with Cadena Cope.

On Sunday, Messi's €555m contract with the Catalans was leaked by El Mundo who say that the Argentine's 'pharaonic' deal ruins the club amidst the current financial crisis.

Some suggest it was the club's ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu or current interim president Carles Tusques who leaked the details of Leo' deal to the media in an attempt to force him out of Camp Nou.

"I don't think it was any candidate for the presidency," Mestre added on whether Bartomeu's board of directors is somehow responsible for the leak.

"The contracts were not even in our hands. They were at the club and in La Liga."

Mestre, who had been Barca's vice-president for the vast part of Bartomeu's reign at Camp Nou, also says that Messi wanted to quit the Blaugrana after winning the treble in 2015 but their board convinced him to stay.

“Messi wanted to leave in 2015 and we fought for him to stay,” Jordi concluded.

Considering Mestre's relationship with Bartomeu, this interview looks like Jordi's attempt to protect his former chief.