Lionel Messi Inspired Barcelona to Pay Lifetime Salary to Every Player Who Won a European Title

FC Barcelona players from the past and present have one more reason added to the list of reasons that they need to thank legendary Lionel Messi for.



In a recent interview, former Barcelona player Juan Carlos Heredia revealed that Messi was the person who inspired former club president Joan Laporta to award every single winner of a European title at the Catalan club a lifetime salary after ​he led Barcelona to the ​UEFA Champions League title in Rome against defeating ​Manchester United in the final in 2009.



More than 290 players could benefit - with the Nou Camp side having amassed five Champions League tiles, four Cup Winners' Cups and three Fairs Cups.



Juan Carlos Heredia - who was victorious in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1979 alongside Johan Cruyff - is one of the recipients, and explained how the reward was inspired.

As reported by the ​Daily Mail, while speaking to 'The Tactical Room', Heredia said, "When Barcelona won the Champions League final in Rome against Manchester United with a goal from Messi, the club president declared that all those who were European champions with Barcelona were going to receive a salary for life. And he fulfilled it."



Messi's goal came in the 70th minute of the 2009 final in Rome, and sealed the win over Sir Alex Ferguson's side after an early Sameul Eto'o strike. 



Since then, the Catalans have won two more European titles in 2011 and 2015, with names right from Neymar to Marc Bartra added to the list of Barcelona's European champions.