Messi turns down €30 million salary from Russian club

Barcelona player, Lionel Messi (RIA Novosti / Alexey Filippov)

The world’s top footballer Lionel Messi, has turned down a super-rich offer from Russia and decided to prolong his deal with Barcelona.
­El Mundo Deportivo paper reports that an unnamed Russian Premier League side offered Messi a three-year deal with a record annual salary of €30 million.
If the deal was struck Barcelona were to receive €250 million for the Argentine’s transfer.
Messi’s father, Jorge, who’s also his agent, said his son rejected the proposal because of the Russian club’s vague prospects of participation in major international competitions as well as weather and the language barrier.
On December 18, it was announced that Barcelona has prolonged the contract with their biggest star until 2018.
There are only two Russian clubs capable of making such a generous offer for Lionel Messi.
They are Zenit Saint Petersburg, who spent nearly €100 million on Hulk and Axel Witsel this September, and Anzhi Makhachkala, who are paying Samuel Eto’o football’s biggest salary of €20 million.