Agüero files $3m suit vs Barça over unpaid wages

Sergio Agüero filed a lawsuit against Barcelona for €3 million ($3.2m) over money owed as part of his 2021 contract termination and the matter is still in court, an official report sent to the Catalan club’s members has revealed.

Agüero, 36, joined Barça from Man City on a two-year deal in 2021 but he made just five appearances before being forced to retire after suffering heart problems during a LaLiga game against Alavés.

He officially announced his retirement in December of the same year, reaching an agreement with the club to end his contract early.

However, a report detailing Barça’s financial accounts for the 2023-24 season and seen by ESPN has revealed the former Argentina striker launched legal proceedings against the club earlier this year.

“On May 29, 2024, ex-player Sergio Agüero filed a claim for €3m that, according to him, he is owed as part of the resolution agreement to end his working relationship with the club,” the report states.

“As of June 21, 2024, there was 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.”

The dispute with Agüero is one of nine legal cases detailed by Barça in the section of the report titled ‘Litigation.’

Another reveals that a company named ‘Scores Sports Management’ is demanding €10m ($10.9m) for their role in the transfer which saw winger Ousmane Dembélé leave Barça for Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth €50m ($54.6m) in 2023.

“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.

“The case has been taken up by a local court given the club’s opposition and desire to contest the claim.”

The cases are listed by Barça given their potential financial implications.

The report was sent out to select members this week ahead of the club’s AGM on Oct. 19, when members will have the opportunity to challenge the 2023-24 financial results.

At the AGM, Barça will present losses of €91m ($99.4 m) for last season.

On Friday, Barcelona also lost a legal case to get a half million-dollar bonus from Zenit St. Petersburg that the Russian club did not have to pay because it was barred from the Champions League following the invasion of Ukraine.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Friday it dismissed Barcelona’s appeal against a FIFA ruling last year in a contract dispute over the transfer of Brazilian winger Malcom.