Barcelona faces yet another financial challenge as a former player has filed a lawsuit seeking three million euros in unpaid dues related to the termination of his contract in 2021.
According to a financial report from Barcelona for the 2023-2024 season, Sergio Agüero, who joined the Spanish giants in 2021, has initiated a conciliation lawsuit at the Mediation, Conciliation, and Arbitration Centre, as reported by ESPN. The 36-year-old signed a two-year contract with Barcelona after leaving Manchester City, but he was forced to retire after only five appearances due to heart issues that emerged during a La Liga match against Alavés.
The former Man City striker has now taken to court against Barca for his outstanding payment. “On May 29, 2024, former player Sergio Agüero filed a claim for 3 million euros, which he asserts is owed to him as part of the settlement agreement that concluded his employment with the club,” the report explains.
Sergio Agüero is suing Barcelona over €3m in unpaid salary. After retiring due to heart issues, the club agreed to pay his first year through insurance, but the insurer refused, claiming the condition was pre-existing. Agüero's camp deny this, stating that what he had suffered… pic.twitter.com/OP9b7PgZza
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 8, 2024
A conciliation session occurred on June 21, but the parties reached no agreement. As a result, Barcelona now awaits the escalation of the lawsuit to the courts for further proceedings.
“As of June 21, 2024, there is no conciliatory agreement between the parties. The club is now waiting for the claim to be processed by a local court for the next step in the procedure.”
According to El País, Mateu Alemany had arranged for the first year of the two-year contract to be covered by players’ insurance; however, the insurance company argued that the arrhythmia resulted from a pre-existing condition that existed before Agüero joined Barcelona. Despite this, Agüero’s representatives informed El País that the arrhythmia originated in a different part of the heart than his earlier condition.
Other Financial Troubles
Barcelona’s financial woes extend beyond this case, as the club faces another multimillion-euro lawsuit. Scores Sports Management is seeking 10 million euros for its role as an intermediary in Ousmane Dembélé’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
“On June 18, 2024, the club was notified of a claim filed by the company Scores Sports Management requesting €10m for their supposed intermediary role in the transfer of Dembélé to PSG,” the report explains.
Barcelona has included these cases in their financial report due to their potential impact on the club’s finances. The report was distributed to select members this week, ahead of the club’s AGM on October 19, where members will be able to scrutinize the 2023-24 financial results. During the AGM, Barça is expected to present a loss of €91 million ($99.4 million) for the previous season.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
