Ballon d’or winner Lionel Messi has been ordered to demolish a hotel he bought in Barcelona because, according to building regulators, the balconies are too big.
Messi bought the hotel for a reported GBP 26 million as investment while playing for Barcelona in 2017. A Catalan court has now ordered that it should be knocked down.
The hotel is located in the seaside resort of Sitges, Barcelona. It is situated in a prime spot, near the beach and seafront promenade.
Media reports in Spain suggest that the local Town Hall had already approved of the demolition even before Messi had bought it, although it is not clear if he had been aware of this at the time.
The balconies are too big and do not comply with local planning regulation and architects, and surveyors have advised that any attempts to make them smaller could lead to the collapse of the building.
It is understood there are also other issues to do with the building to do with its structural integrity.
Fortunately, Messi can afford it, with his current net worth estimated to be USD 600 million. This comes from not only the salary and bonuses from playing football but also numerous endorsements, including a lifelong deal from Adidas. He also owns his own clothing line – the Messi store is located in the Barcelona city centre – and owns a private jet, a yacht, numerous properties, and an extensive collection of cars.
Nor is the property in Sitges the only hotel in his portfolio of investments. Messi owns a number of them in different cities, most of them in Spain,.
However, he does not only spend his money on himself and his family but makes substantial donations to a range of charities and good causes, principally through his Won Foundation, dedicated to helping children around the world, especially those with health problems.
If he hotel must come down, thus, it will not damage his income or family wealth. He can just shrug it off to bad luck (although he may want to wonder why his advisors did not conduct proper due diligence before advising him to buy it).