Messi

[PhilM]

He must be insanely wealthy already though, and reaching the stage in his career when he's nearer the end than the beginning, so you'd think he'd happily sacrifice a few bob if it meant he won things. What price do you reckon he put on winning the Copa America, for instance? I dare say he'd have his choice of "not Barcelona" teams if he dropped his wage demands significantly, but it doesn't appear as though he's going to do that.

I do wonder with both he and Ronaldo that they've become so subsumed by their undoubted individual brilliance and desire for individual records that as their powers wane any team they end up in becomes subservient to them rather than the other way round. That's why neither was ever rumoured to be a target for Bayern, who prioritise the team over individuals.

The issue being Bruce that they get caught into the cycle of self-importance vs. wealth (likely fuelled by their advisers/leaches) to the point they simply won't.

Messi is a brilliant player, if not the best ever, and still at thirty-four adds so much to Barcelona's game, but is he worth the reported €70-100m and financial ruin?

Even a reduction to €35m would be €670k(ish) per week pre-tax and that'd be before endorsements and image rights etc., but it's all about more wealth.

If Barca somehow lobby for the wage cap to be removed, they're going to have to shoulder his wages AND the signings they've brought in.

What's the long term impact of that going to be? The point of being subservient is an important one as they're putting Messi before their financial stability.

However, I doubt that's a concern of Messi as it goes back to the first point - he wants more money and won't make a sacrifice on their behalf.

 

[anton66]

I’m sure Bale was getting more wages than him. Messi was getting half a million a week but with endorsements taking it up to 1 million, poor soul.

 

[kenada_blue]

Because it deflects attention from the absolute horror show of Barcelona's financial situation.

Of course. But they're the golden goose of the league.

The powers that be will bend over for them

 

[PhilM]

I’m sure Bale was getting more wages than him. Messi was getting half a million a week but with endorsements taking it up to 1 million, poor soul.

Bale's per week salary was high, but Messi's contract with everything involved well and truly blows everything else out of the water.

Details of Messi’s incredible contract at Barcelona were leaked in the Spanish press over the weekend, revealing his extraordinary HALF A BILLION euro deal at the Nou Camp.


Messi’s €555,237,619 four-year deal sees the maestro paid €138million in wages and bonuses, features a €78m loyalty bonus and also includes a clause that saw him paid an extra €115m just to renew his contract at the Catalan club in 2017.

 

[Bohemian Toffee]

Of course. But they're the golden goose of the league.

The powers that be will bend over for them

Yeah, I totally agree with you.

Surprised it actually got as far as it did without Tebas and the LFP working something out.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The issue being Bruce that they get caught into the cycle of self-importance vs. wealth (likely fuelled by their advisers/leaches) to the point they simply won't.

Messi is a brilliant player, if not the best ever, and still at thirty-four adds so much to Barcelona's game, but is he worth the reported €70-100m and financial ruin?

Even a reduction to €35m would be €670k(ish) per week pre-tax and that'd be before endorsements and image rights etc., but it's all about more wealth.

If Barca somehow lobby for the wage cap to be removed, they're going to have to shoulder his wages AND the signings they've brought in.

What's the long term impact of that going to be? The point of being subservient is an important one as they're putting Messi before their financial stability.

However, I doubt that's a concern of Messi as it goes back to the first point - he wants more money and won't make a sacrifice on their behalf.

It's just pretty unedifying tbh.

 

[Tin-Tin]

Imagine it would be more a case of Mbappe staying this season and leaving on a free next year. Doubt Real have the money to afford him this summer, even if he is in the last year of his contract.

Agree if you were Mbappe ypu wpuld want to stay and play with him for a season, he would massively increase the chance of a CL trophy.

But apparently PSG will have to sell if they want Messi and it makes sense to let Mbappe go while they can get a big fee now if he wont sign a new deal

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It's just pretty unedifying tbh.

"It's not like getting someone who will earn, say, 50m euros. Whatever it is, you have to double it. But you also have to pay a signing-on fee, that could be 50-60-70m. It's a signing from another club almost."

Lionel Messi: Is this really the end for Argentina forward at Barcelona?

After Barcelona announce that Lionel Messi "shall not be staying", is this really the end for the Argentine at the Nou Camp?

www.bbc.co.uk

That kind of signing on fee as well? Ffs. Messi has been the best player ever imo but if he's being that greedy that there is literally only one club in the world who could afford him (and god knows how they do it either tbh), then he can do one. Sod off and count your money.

 

[PhilM]

@Bruce Wayne look at this beauty from Laporte. Not sad enough to take a sizeable pay cut it seems.

Leo wanted to stay so he's not happy.

We all wanted him to stay but for him right now, it's a reality that can't be changed and he knows that I wish him the best wherever he goes.

Barca is his home, he's enlarged this club's trophy list and we will always be thankful.

Although, there's a few other important quotes that he's made.

La Liga wants Leo Messi here. But it is also true there are clubs that want the rules to be abided by.

They cannot make an exception for us, even if it means Leo is out of La Liga. They just asked us to abide by the rules because we were over the salary limit.

That is as simple as it is. We have to move on.

Everyone is working on the situation and now we have a little bit more of a margin to find a solution.

We are at the limit, even without Leo. The ratio as I said is 4/1. That's why it was so difficult to fit him in.

The decision and my decision is that we can't put the club at risk

I don’t want to generate false hope, and during the course of negotiations, we have known that the player has other offers and there was a time limit for them.

The player also needs some time to evaluate his situation, look at other options. We’ve been at it for two months and we’ve gone through different stages. The first agreement was two years to be paid in five years and Leo agreed to that. He was always present in negotiations and he worked with us.

We thought that would be allowed in the regulations of fair play but it’s not allowed here, as it is in other countries. La Liga also had its pressures because other clubs want rules to be abided by.

Then we agreed to a five-year contract that was also accepted by Leo. We were all thinking of two and if he wanted more, we could sit and negotiate. We wanted the era of post-Messi to start in two years not today but given the circumstances we’ve had to bring that forward.

The only way was to accept La Liga’s operation that wasn’t in Barca’s best interest. We can’t accept it affecting our future television rights.

The audit numbers have just come out. One thing is the numbers presented to us initially, but now we realise the situation is worse than we expected. From bad to worse. The first conclusions of the audit confirm that.

Messi has behaved in an excellent manner and the players have always made it easier for us. That is why we were saying things were going well, but at one point, we needed to say enough.

With the Messi deal, their salary would be 110% of turnover - wow!

 

[Rook]

I hate Koeman as much as anyone, but this is clearly a money issue? The man earns obscene amounts of money and they are in a financial state without the ESL.

Koeman was specifically hired to clean up the balance sheet by having the high wage earners run screaming from him. Mission accomplished.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

@Bruce Wayne look at this beauty from Laporte. Not sad enough to take a sizeable pay cut it seems.


Although, there's a few other important quotes that he's made.



With the Messi deal, their salary would be 110% of turnover - wow!

It's even grimmer if the accusation that the club might be using this as leverage against La Liga is true. The whole "more than a club" schtick is nonsense now isn't it? Ever since they started having sponsors on their shirt they've just become yet another money-grabbing moral vacuum like every other big club.

 

[mawders]

He should give them a season of playing for next to nothing given what the club have done for him in his career. Imagine if he did that and he won them the CL. He probably hates Koeman though so is quite happy to leave

 

[Baines' left foot]

Barca are utterly screwed. Their stadium is so far behind the new elite stadiums built over the last 15-20 years too. Is a horrible dated lump of concrete. Messi’s greed isn’t the cause of Barca’s financial mess but he has certainly contributed to it.

I just can’t imagine wanting that much money to the detriment of your supposed boy hood club.

 

[Jeff Jones]

I've given up trying to work out how some footballers think. Messi should take a pay cut and finish his career at Barcelona.

He just doesn't need any more money from them.

 

[atypicalusername]

Big surprise