Barcelona in crisis after six directors resign in protest at way club is run
- Thread starter SteveJ
- Start date
Am I the only one who can see comparisons between Barcelona/Messi and Bulls/Jordan?
Messi queue in club etc.
Terrible comparison.
Barça is more like the Lakers: buying the right players or drama.
Barca make our transfer business look like Juve and Liverpool standard. They've done rotten transfer business, absolutely shocking signings for years.
Can Messi simply not take a pay cut in order to join another club?
How much money does he need? I imagine he earns a lot on top of his football salary.
Either or he goes and plays in Saudi Arabia for £10 million a week.
How much money does he need? I imagine he earns a lot on top of his football salary.
Either or he goes and plays in Saudi Arabia for £10 million a week.
or plays for saudi arabia in newcastle?... lts face it FFP does not seem to count for much so I guess newcastle can buy sancho and haaland to play alongside him and pay them whatever they want?
I'm waiting for the almighty meltdown when Messi finally quits (however he does so). I might dissolve into perpetual laughter at their misery. That's one club I've come to despise quite deeply.
I hope he goes to Juve and outscores Ronaldo - just for the meltdown
I doubt messi will leave the cocoon of barcelona.
If he does, it will probably be to join pep or somewhere like psg/bayern where there is no competition.
I still don't think he would want to come to the prem at his age, knowing the physicality and speed of the game here.
If he does, it will probably be to join pep or somewhere like psg/bayern where there is no competition.
I still don't think he would want to come to the prem at his age, knowing the physicality and speed of the game here.
He probably wouldn't come to the PL at this stage but the physicality and speed wouldn't be a problem for him if he did.
Messi won't leave Barcelona but objectively it wouldn't be a bad decision to do so ATM. They are terribly run and being a team sport individuals will always suffer when the collective is badly run.
It would be very interesting if he does though. It would put to bed the debate he can't handle a speedy/physical league like the prem.
Although of course, the way pep plays, it would be very similar to barcelona. So the transition might actually work.
There is no debate since he has pretty much destroyed the majority of Premiership teams he has ever played.
Barcelona risks "becoming a new AC Milan or a Manchester United" in being unable to compete for major honours, says club presidential candidate Victor Font.
Font is set to challenge current president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2021. Rivals Real Madrid won their first La Liga title in three years on Thursday.
Font said Barcelona risks being "one of the most successful clubs in Europe that is now not able to compete for the top titles".
Font, who has been working on his presidential "project" since 2013, says the club faces a "perfect storm" in replacing a key generation of players, renovating the Nou Camp and dealing with the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Competition over the last decade has become more and more professional," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast.
"You see in the Premier League with clubs well managed, and even states owning clubs to put in a lot of money at a time where the finance of the club and economic model is stretched to the limit. Unless we do what we are trying, Barca has the risk of becoming a new AC Milan or a Manchester United."
AC Milan last won Serie A in 2010-11 while Manchester United have not won the Premier League since 2012-13.
Font is set to challenge current president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2021. Rivals Real Madrid won their first La Liga title in three years on Thursday.
Font said Barcelona risks being "one of the most successful clubs in Europe that is now not able to compete for the top titles".
Font, who has been working on his presidential "project" since 2013, says the club faces a "perfect storm" in replacing a key generation of players, renovating the Nou Camp and dealing with the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Competition over the last decade has become more and more professional," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast.
"You see in the Premier League with clubs well managed, and even states owning clubs to put in a lot of money at a time where the finance of the club and economic model is stretched to the limit. Unless we do what we are trying, Barca has the risk of becoming a new AC Milan or a Manchester United."
AC Milan last won Serie A in 2010-11 while Manchester United have not won the Premier League since 2012-13.
I think amongst the melodrama in this thread (typical of the Caf) it's important to note that
1. Messi is still a great player (best in the world arguably)
2. Barcelona have won 7 of the last 12 La Liga titles. 6 in this decade. Compared to Madrid's 3. Strangely enough this lopsided domination of the league has always been overlooked. Now Barcelona are crisis because they didn't win the league? Pah
3. Griezmann, Dembele have been mentioned as ineffectual. What have Hazard and Jovic contributed this season? Seems to be a weird stick to beat Barcelona with exclusively
4. The difference comes down to Zidane > Setien in the run-in
5. Barcelona have off-pitch drama and will have to deal with Messi's departure eventually, but it need not be the cataclysmic event everyone is predicting it to be
6. If you needed this season to believe that Zidane is a great manager then your manager evaluation method is shit (this is the case for most Caf posters). He was better than Setien in the run-in
7. What Barcelona need: managerial change, someone who can work around Messi's unique skillset/limitations (running him into the ground at his age is the dumbest idea I've ever heard, put 10 workhorses around him if needed). They'll be fine though.
1. Messi is still a great player (best in the world arguably)
2. Barcelona have won 7 of the last 12 La Liga titles. 6 in this decade. Compared to Madrid's 3. Strangely enough this lopsided domination of the league has always been overlooked. Now Barcelona are crisis because they didn't win the league? Pah
3. Griezmann, Dembele have been mentioned as ineffectual. What have Hazard and Jovic contributed this season? Seems to be a weird stick to beat Barcelona with exclusively
4. The difference comes down to Zidane > Setien in the run-in
5. Barcelona have off-pitch drama and will have to deal with Messi's departure eventually, but it need not be the cataclysmic event everyone is predicting it to be
6. If you needed this season to believe that Zidane is a great manager then your manager evaluation method is shit (this is the case for most Caf posters). He was better than Setien in the run-in
7. What Barcelona need: managerial change, someone who can work around Messi's unique skillset/limitations (running him into the ground at his age is the dumbest idea I've ever heard, put 10 workhorses around him if needed). They'll be fine though.
Has he watched United recently?
Let's see whether Barca are still ahead of us in a couple of years' time.
Yeah for sure. They've had the best player in the world for the last decade, plus the core of the all-conquering Spain team. They should have won five or six Champions Leagues in that time, but their transfer business has been rubbish.
I live in Barcelona myself and the whole club isn't particularly likeable. Aside from the arrogance, they constantly push the independence stuff - while at the same time fleecing tourists from all over the world. Haven't got any time for them at all.
Scary part is, how many of their signings that have turned out to be shocking have TheCaf been asking for us to sign? So glad we didn't get Griezmann
Disgraceful, and we better go back win the title to shut this m*********** up. Become a AC Milan if you want, but don't bother us.
It’s fair. We’re getting better but we still haven’t won a major trophy since 2013. The point he’s making is they don’t want to become a fallen giant. Us & AC were the best two teams in the world at one point.
Are you saying Messi became the new Riquelme?
It does work though.
Only the league or the CL is a major trophy now?
Different from playing in the premiership.
I don't see why not (Riquelme did well with Villareal and Messi is much better than he was)
The audacity of claiming a lack of intensity when he meanders around the pitch when they're not in possession. The lack of self awareness is astonishing.
No this is a gross misrepresentation of what happend with the Manchester City verdict
You suggesting playing premier league teams is not the same as playing premier league teams? The only thing different is that he has only played the best teams in the Premiership at the time - he hasn't yet had the pleasure of playing Burnley, Norwich or Everton - you think he would find that a challenge?You're right, Riquelme used as a creator without having to run and the rest of the team running all around the field was a system that worked. They did not win enough though. Messi is better indeed, but part of his skills was the close control, so not sure how that translates.
Great post.
Pretty much agree with all of it but wouldn't be too sure about the bolded.
How on earth do you deal with losing Lionel Messi? Surely its safe to say that no club will ever be as shook by the departure of one player.
Even if losing the huge wage bill gives them serious funds, I don't think they'd spend it wisely based on the last couple of years.
I'm not even sure what post-Messi Barca looks like personally.
He expects everyone to run around for him. Like it or not wherever Messi goes, Defensively its 10 men and attacking is 12.
The problem is, in a high intensity league it becomes difficult to carry Messi defensively for the whole season.
Its becoming more and more difficult for the managers to find a role that suits messi, he needs a free role where he can do what he wants, there is no point tying Messi down to a position.
Has he ever played against Stoke, though?
Madrid have been doing a much better job in recruiting young players from South America than Barca and with young player recruitment generally the past 5 years. Barca’s academy isn’t pumping out the quality players we’ve seen in the past either but to be fair no club is producing an Iniesta every 10 years. Their transfer business has been shocking. £300 million plus on Dembele, Griezmann and Coutinho. I think once Messi leaves or retires, we’ll see Barca go into a major decline for a few years, which will force them to go back to their roots of developing and promoting youth.
Their big signings (from Transfermarkt):
19/20
IN
Griezmann €120m
De Jong €75m
Neto €26m
Braithwaite €18m
Firpo €18m
Emerson €12m
18/19
Malcolm €41m
Lenglet €35.9m
Arthur €31m
Vidal €18m
17/18
Coutinho €145m
Dembele €138m
Paulinho €40m
Semedo €35.7m
Quite a lot of wasted money there, although they did get their money back on Paulinho and Malcolm. Poor recruitment is what has got them into this mess, not sure they can spend their way out of it now.......
19/20
IN
Griezmann €120m
De Jong €75m
Neto €26m
Braithwaite €18m
Firpo €18m
Emerson €12m
18/19
Malcolm €41m
Lenglet €35.9m
Arthur €31m
Vidal €18m
17/18
Coutinho €145m
Dembele €138m
Paulinho €40m
Semedo €35.7m
Quite a lot of wasted money there, although they did get their money back on Paulinho and Malcolm. Poor recruitment is what has got them into this mess, not sure they can spend their way out of it now.......
I'm sure he would be terrified at the prospect.
I absolutely got that when I visited. Not impressed with them one bit!
I'd say the reason for that is Messi. He's so good that even when players and managers around him have changed, he's been able to still drive them to success on the field. Were it not for him, I think the club would really have felt the consequences of their mismanagement in the past few years.
I wish he never plays in PL. He will smash every team and it would be painful watching him play for rivals.
How's De Jong doing? Sure he only joined due the sentiment stuff with Cruyff.