Lionel Messi

[BIG D]

18 hours ago, Doctor Duran said:

So he went for the money.. to another nothing league.

 

 

Another?

 

[SiJ]

He's off then.

 

Tbf, if Poch can't win Ligue 1 with this team, he needs to just give up and take up a new hobby.

[beswetherick]

I know Barca have turned into just another superclub over the last few years with their shirt sponsor and paying huge amounts for players instead of relying on their academy, but it still feels a bit that Messi’s time with them is over. For me, he’s the best player to ever play the game and that Barca team under Pep was the most enjoyable team I’ve ever watched. They’ve completely lost the identity which made them a unique, special club and it’s resulted in the best player in the history of the game leaving them after 20+ years to probably go to PSG - a club who are the antithesis of everything that Barca used to stand for. It’s very disappointing that it’s ended like this. 
 

Could he do a job for us though?

[FreshOwl]

All agreed with Paris. Flying for medical tonight. 1 year deal with option of a second. 35m per season 

[Rogers]

He might turn up at Man City 

[alanharper]

With Messi in tears and saying he didn't want to leave and he's so happy to live and play in Barcelona, I don't get why he doesn't just agree to a much smaller wage and stay. His proposed wage was halved to about £60m a year - still over a million a week. So after earning literally hundreds of millions in the last few years alone, more money than he could ever spend in his lifetime, why doesn't he agree to stay and play for, say £10m a year? That's still a crazy high wage for a 34 year old footballer, over £200k pw, and more than enough to set somebody up for life from 1 year alone. 

 

 

[Weshallovercome]

Barca are already over their spending limit apparently, that's the reason given for not signing him on reduced wages.

 

Have to say he got me going in that press conference, sad to see really.

[Utah Owl]

Tbh I was hoping no one would stump up the cash and he was hung out to dry. He wants far too much money and its high time that the sheer greed displayed by players and agents was ended.

[Joe Sunburn]

On 07/08/2021 at 06:59, pachyderm said:

Is he still coming to Wednesday or did that fall through? 

Anything’s possible with this chairman. Come on DC, close the deal. UTO 

 

 

[Utah Owl]

Just to add, I don't care who it is or what they do, the simple fact that one person can earn more in a week than 99% of the entire planet can earn in a lifetime of work is utterly obscene. 

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, alanharper said:

With Messi in tears and saying he didn't want to leave and he's so happy to live and play in Barcelona, I don't get why he doesn't just agree to a much smaller wage and stay. His proposed wage was halved to about £60m a year - still over a million a week. So after earning literally hundreds of millions in the last few years alone, more money than he could ever spend in his lifetime, why doesn't he agree to stay and play for, say £10m a year? That's still a crazy high wage for a 34 year old footballer, over £200k pw, and more than enough to set somebody up for life from 1 year alone. 

 

 

 

Why should he?

He is the best in the world. 

He agreed to a 50% pay cut when still at the top of his profession. Would you do that? How many footballers have ever done that?

He wants to win and wants to play for a club that can win in the last few years of his career, Barcelona are not heading in the right direction in that respect.

 

Also, as an out of contract player, he would have to be a new registration with the club - La Liga wont allow it as even if he played for next to nothing, the wage bill is still higher than the rules allow, they need to release more players, they are not going to challenge for the Champions League.

 

Who is at fault for Wednesday's wage bill being too high? The players - not really, they signed what they were offered. Those running the club have messed up, for us and for Barcelona. 

 

 

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, Utah Owl said:

Tbh I was hoping no one would stump up the cash and he was hung out to dry. He wants far too much money and its high time that the sheer greed displayed by players and agents was ended.

 

The club agreed to pay him the money. He agreed to take half of what they were paying him. The income of the club will reduce dramatically as a result of him leaving and the profile of La Liga will decline further, just as it did when Ronaldo left. They are paid so much because of the income they generate.

[beswetherick]

11 minutes ago, Utah Owl said:

Just to add, I don't care who it is or what they do, the simple fact that one person can earn more in a week than 99% of the entire planet can earn in a lifetime of work is utterly obscene. 

Of course it is, that’s free market capitalism for you though!
 

This situation is all very grubby, regardless of how well-paid he is, it’s sad to see the greatest player of all time leave his club in this way after everything he’s achieved. Barca’s previous ownership are primarily to blame but I feel like La Liga are throwing the baby out with the bath water a bit as well - the value of their ‘product’ is surely going to suffer massively as a result of him leaving, especially after Ronaldo left a few years ago. The likes of Benzema and Suarez are fine players, but it’s hard to imagine people in China or wherever taking as much interest in the league now 

[Utah Owl]

7 minutes ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

The club agreed to pay him the money. He agreed to take half of what they were paying him. The income of the club will reduce dramatically as a result of him leaving and the profile of La Liga will decline further, just as it did when Ronaldo left. They are paid so much because of the income they generate.

Really?

 

In that case how come both Barca & Real are practically bankrupt?

[mcmigo]

8 minutes ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

The club agreed to pay him the money. He agreed to take half of what they were paying him. The income of the club will reduce dramatically as a result of him leaving and the profile of La Liga will decline further, just as it did when Ronaldo left. They are paid so much because of the income they generate.

Absolutely 

 

One in ten visitors to Barcelona recently cited Messi as a reason they wanted to visit. Like Ronaldo he generates much more than he is paid.

 

[markg]

59 minutes ago, alanharper said:

With Messi in tears and saying he didn't want to leave and he's so happy to live and play in Barcelona, I don't get why he doesn't just agree to a much smaller wage and stay. His proposed wage was halved to about £60m a year - still over a million a week. So after earning literally hundreds of millions in the last few years alone, more money than he could ever spend in his lifetime, why doesn't he agree to stay and play for, say £10m a year? That's still a crazy high wage for a 34 year old footballer, over £200k pw, and more than enough to set somebody up for life from 1 year alone. 

 

 

I don’t think that the deal would be allowed even if he signed for next to nothing

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Utah Owl said:

Really?

 

In that case how come both Barca & Real are practically bankrupt?

 

Because of the money they have wasted elsewhere.

 

Under the last board this is the failed £25M plus transfers, there are plenty more £10M+

 

Coutinho  - £130M plus huge wages - always injured and even loaned out.

Turan - £30M plus huge wages

Malcom - £37M

Alcacer - £27M

Gomes - £33M

Semedo - £32M

Paulinho  - £36M

Dembele - good player but constantly injured, £128M

Arthur - £27M

Lenglet - £32M

Neto £23M

 

Hundreds of millions in failed transfers fees with big wages bringing little to the club, the money made on shirt sales and attracting people to the club is a drop in the ocean compared to the stars.

 

I went to a pre-season game at the Nou Camp a few seasons ago, 96,500 attended. Many tourists, many with Messi on the shirts, buying Messi merchandise, turning up to see Messi. Nobody else at the club brings anything like that.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ellis Rimmer]

On 07/08/2021 at 14:21, Doctor Duran said:

Out of contract isn't he ?

La liga to me is very boring dominated by 2 teams .. like Scottish premiership.

People always level this at Scotland and Spain but nobody ever says anything about German league which has been dominated by Munich basically forever. They even are able to take most of the best Dortmund players from them usually.

 

most leagues are dominated by 1-2 teams I’ve noticed

[Ellis Rimmer]

Messi crying cos he can’t stay is ridiculous. “I am crying because Barca can’t match what PSG will pay me” basically 

[0wl18]

People do realise Messi is a free agent? 
 

Barca can’t register him or, any other new signings. They’re massively foul of the La Liga’s financial regulations. It’s not about how much he’s on ffs.