Lionel Messi

[TheEnchanter]

16 minutes ago, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

The point is he can't.

 

He offered to take a 50% wage cut

 

 

Even on 50% reduced wages Barcelona couldnt register him:

 

Messi wouldn’t have been able to take any more than a 50 per cent cut due to a clause in Spanish employment law that is in place to avoid financial manipulation.

 

Even if Messi had offered to play the 2021-22 season without a salary, Barcelona would not have met La Liga’s salary regulations. Had Messi stayed, Barcelona’s annual salary would have accounted for 110 per cent of their income, but even with him off the books, the remaining figure is still 95 per cent. To comply with La Liga’s regulations, they need to bring it down to 70 per cent.

 

 

 

 

 

That makes sense. Fair enough. Still... PSG though. Proper naff move. Great fans but that's where it ends for me. Bet he's a bit gutted he's having to move there. No one else can afford him. 

[beswetherick]

36 minutes ago, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

In what way?

Without getting into an ethical debate about PSG compared other clubs, it’s just a waste of talent. He’s the best footballer of all time and he’s going to be playing teams like Clermont and Troyes week in week out. I said in a previous post that it’s like Ronnie O’Sullivan turning up to the working men’s for snooker night. 
 

It’s nothing to do with money @SiJso no need to put words in my mouth because I’m actually on the same page as you here — wherever he goes will make a fortune on merchandising, sponsorship etc — I just think PSG are a crap club playing in a crap league. 
 

It’s just a rubbish situation for everyone except PSG, and nobody involved has particularly covered themselves in glory — not least Barca’s old chairman… bloody hell, how to ruin a football club

[Belfast Owl 2]

2 minutes ago, beswetherick said:

Without getting into an ethical debate about PSG compared other clubs, it’s just a waste of talent. He’s the best footballer of all time and he’s going to be playing teams like Clermont and Troyes week in week out. I said in a previous post that it’s like Ronnie O’Sullivan turning up to the working men’s for snooker night. 
 

It’s nothing to do with money @SiJso no need to put words in my mouth because I’m actually on the same page as you here — wherever he goes will make a fortune on merchandising, sponsorship etc — I just think PSG are a crap club playing in a crap league. 
 

It’s just a rubbish situation for everyone except PSG, and nobody involved has particularly covered themselves in glory — not least Barca’s old chairman… bloody hell, how to ruin a football club

 

PSG aren't a crap club by any means, their squad aint half bad.

 

If he joins and helps them towards a CL then its not a tainted legacy.

[bigdan2003]

Messi upon receiving the PSG offer 

 

[beswetherick]

2 minutes ago, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

PSG aren't a crap club by any means, their squad aint half bad.

 

If he joins and helps them towards a CL then its not a tainted legacy.

And if he doesn’t…? I dunno, my views are all over the place a bit with this one. I actually feel sorry for Messi in a way (as much as it’s possible to feel sorry for someone who earns as much as him), because he clearly wants to stay at Barca but isn’t allowed to… however, I still think it’s a shame he’s moving to France.
 

At the risk of sounding like Richard Keys or someone (in fact, possibly not Richard Keys, considering who pays him), I’d love to see him in the PL, if only to finally shut people up who reckon he couldn’t do it over here. It’s just a crap situation all round really. I’m a sucker for a romantic football story and Messi to PSG ain’t it

[overlandandsea]

1 hour ago, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

Foook me.

 

Should he turn up at Old Trafford despite them not bidding for him.

Foook me did I ever say they had?

[Guest T Hardy]

14 minutes ago, beswetherick said:

And if he doesn’t…? I dunno, my views are all over the place a bit with this one. I actually feel sorry for Messi in a way (as much as it’s possible to feel sorry for someone who earns as much as him), because he clearly wants to stay at Barca but isn’t allowed to… however, I still think it’s a shame he’s moving to France.
 

At the risk of sounding like Richard Keys or someone (in fact, possibly not Richard Keys, considering who pays him), I’d love to see him in the PL, if only to finally shut people up who reckon he couldn’t do it over here. It’s just a crap situation all round really. I’m a sucker for a romantic football story and Messi to PSG ain’t it

Funnily enough I was just about to mention Keys.. every time Messi and transfers comes up he always says Messi and Pep don’t get along which is why they’ll never be reunited, I used to think that was nonsense but surely City just had the chance to make this happen and they haven’t tried. Yeah I get they could end up paying £220m this summer on other players anyway, but how much money are all these players going to bring in? I’m sure I heard Ronaldo made his transfer fee back for Real within a week just in shirt sales. Surely financially it was doable.

 

So yeah that’s why I reckon he’s not come to England, but I’d have loved to see it. I think Messi is off to PSG cos his best mate is there and he can be rested before any CL game. Even if they’re playing Marseille, he’s going to be rested if it’s a few days before a CL game.
 

Surely something in there about the Qatar World Cup and making sure Messi is fresh for it too. Whilst we don’t like it at the moment, if he wins a CL with them I’m sure we’ll look at this transfer differently and say it made a lot of sense all round 

[SiJ]

Don't get me wrong, I'd much appreciate him staying at Barca, but that club is a complete shambles from top to bottom. 

 

Yes, him going to PSG is far from ideal, but I doubt there were many other realistic options on the table. 

[SiJ]

I suppose, unlike Neymar, he's going there in the winter of his career and because there aren't many viable options on the table. 

 

Pretty sure Neymar only went to PSG because he didn't like playing second fiddle to Messi, which is mildly ironic now given what is about to happen. 

 

Perhaps he has grown up a bit...I have my doubts. 

[Guest T Hardy]

23 minutes ago, beswetherick said:

At the risk of sounding like Richard Keys or someone (in fact, possibly not Richard Keys, considering who pays him), I’d love to see him in the PL, if only to finally shut people up who reckon he couldn’t do it over here. 

If you can be bothered, ask these people why they think after dominating City, Liverpool, Chelsea, United, Spurs and Arsenal he’d struggle against Norwich and Huddersfield. They will probably tell you he’ll get knocked off the ball and won’t be able to do it because of his size, remind them David Silva and Juan Mata are his size 

 

Don’t claim to be Einstein but I don’t see how anyone with an ounce of intelligence could make a claim that Messi would struggle in England 

[sheffield_dave]

It’s the most boring move if nothing else.

 

As soon as the prospect of him actually leaving Barcelona became a reality there was only two realistic landing spots, and they were both almost by default because of the financial side of it.

 

I can’t imagine taking any actual interest in Messi moving to PSG unless you are either a PSG fan or weirdly invested in Qatar’s bid to win the CL. There’s nothing else here of any interest whatsoever.

 

[Ellis Rimmer]

Funny it’s not about money but he’s joined the club that can pay him the most money

[Guest T Hardy]

10 minutes ago, sheffield_dave said:

It’s the most boring move if nothing else.

 

As soon as the prospect of him actually leaving Barcelona became a reality there was only two realistic landing spots, and they were both almost by default because of the financial side of it.

 

I can’t imagine taking any actual interest in Messi moving to PSG unless you are either a PSG fan or weirdly invested in Qatar’s bid to win the CL. There’s nothing else here of any interest whatsoever.

 

Or you want to see how the best player to ever play football gets on 

 

Not saying I’ll watch PSG every week but I’ll be watching them over any other team in the CL I think, their attack should be deadly 

[Adem Poric]

Messi, Neymar and Mbappe though.

 

It'll be like watching a game of Pro Evo on easy mode.

[sheffield_dave]

7 minutes ago, T Hardy said:

Or you want to see how the best player to ever play football gets on 

 

Not saying I’ll watch PSG every week but I’ll be watching them over any other team in the CL I think, their attack should be deadly 

I think we can say right now, before he’s even pulled on the strip, that the “best player to ever play” will “get on” just fine.

[TheEnchanter]

PSG to fail in the Champions League again hopefully. 

[Skyline]

1 hour ago, Ellis Rimmer said:

Funny it’s not about money but he’s joined the club that can pay him the most money

Him leaving Barca was not about the money.

 

Him joining PSG is about them being the only club that can afford him.

 

He wanted to stay at barca, couldn't so he's going to PSG for the money. Can't blame him really.

[0wl18]

So Messi moves to PSG and, it’s a waste of talent. Ronaldo goes to Juventus and, he’s better than Messi because he’s done it in multiple leagues

[Guest T Hardy]

1 hour ago, sheffield_dave said:

I think we can say right now, before he’s even pulled on the strip, that the “best player to ever play” will “get on” just fine.

Not guaranteed to win any trophies though..

[BIG D]

6 minutes ago, 0wl18 said:

So Messi moves to PSG and, it’s a waste of talent. Ronaldo goes to Juventus and, he’s better than Messi because he’s done it in multiple leagues

Yeah, bravo to Ronnie going to one of the true minnows of Italian football.