“I would have advised Messi other alternatives” — Lawyer who sued PSG speaks up

Lionel Messi is officially a Paris Saint-Germain player.

The former Barcelona captain signed a two-year contract with the French capital club on Tuesday night and conducted his first press conference as a PSG superstar earlier today.

While the news is yet to sink in among many fans of Barcelona or even the neutrals, it has also sparked some sections into action to try and stop the move. Famous lawyer, Juan Branco, representing a group of Barcelona partners, has sued PSG for the signing of the Messi.

Three days ago, even as talks between Messi and PSG were progressing, Franco filed a lawsuit against PSG to the European Commission, citing ‘unfair competition’ as Les Parisiens were way out of bounds with regard to complying with the Financial Fair Play regulations.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Franco shed light on the grounds for his appeal, saying: “In the case of PSG, the ratio was 99% in the 2020-21 season. And for this next season it has a forecast of losses of €200 to €300 million, including sales of €180 million – which have not yet occurred – and only they would be given by selling to Mbappe, when in reality the real losses would be between €400-500 million.”

“And all that in some accounts that he presented in June, without counting the additions of Ramos, Donnarumma, Achraf … and now Messi,” he adds.

In addition to the lawsuit with the EC, Franco has filed another similar litigation against PSG with the Council of State in France, asking for Messi’s contract with the Parisian outfit to be rejected and his registration with Ligue 1 be blocked.

Franco’s actions have reportedly led to him receiving death threats on social media. Nonetheless, he remains confident about the suits and as he awaits the outcome of the proceedings, which could take any time between 48 hours to a month, he had a word of caution for Messi.

“If I were Messi’s lawyer , I would advise him to be cautious and see other alternatives,” Branco said. It remains to be seen who these things unfold in the coming days. For now, though, Messi is a PSG player.