Lionel Messi \ Signs for PSG

[Eyepopper]

Messi in tears at his goodbye press conference

 

[FrankDrebin]

No one's going to work for free.

 

[galcianuk]

Yeah, 100% this he's going for trophies and a shot at the Champions league again.

Who's going to stop that PSG side now.

All they need is Mbappe to sign a new contract and it's almost a dream team.

- Neymar - doesn't press or defend
- Messi - doesn't press or defend
- Mbappe - doesn't press or defend
- Ramos - old and slow as feck

That team will steam roll L1, but get totally out pressed and out run in CL.

 

[Mr Smith]

Such an unlikeable character

I don't get this. Is it the money? Personally it's never bothered me, and I've never seen anything that made me think Messi was an unlikable character...

Lukaku, now there's an unlikable character.

 

[Relevated]

Emotion can be felt by anyone regardless or richness or poverty. You don't need to mock him for crying. He's human.

 

[Reditus]

for the “play for free gang”

How has it only made a difference now? What about last season on his existing contract

 

[Castia]

Madrid will be celebrating. Not only do Barce lose their best player but with him going to PSG that opens the door for Mbappe to join them.

Barce fecked up not selling him last year, City would have given them £100m and they would have saved about £60m in wages/bonuses. That's a £160m swing that would have bought them Haaland.

 

[Relevated]

I don't get this. Is it the money? Personally it's never bothered me, and I've never seen anything that made me think Messi was an unlikable character...

Lukaku, now there's an unlikable character.

Its because he's very quiet and earns a lot. Its a mixture of jealousy and the assumption that hes a cunning person.

 

[sullydnl]

I was talking with my family about that yesterday...

Surely if he wanted to stay, and loves the club that much, and doesn't want to leave, he could stay and play for next to nothing? He's got all the money he could want, so if he truly loved the club, money wouldn't be an issue?

That isn't the way football works, or indeed the way most people work. If it was then half the top footballers in the world would be paying for free as they have "all the money they could want". And you could start going around to people in other professions asking why they don't do their jobs for free either given that (relative to average people) they reach the point where they have enough money long before they're as wealthy as Leo Messi.

He's a professional footballer, not a charity. This is his job, his career, it's not a hobby. He rightly expects to get paid for his work, the same as anyone else. It's no different to asking anyone else to keep doing their job without pay. Even if they have the money to be able to do so and even if they "love" their employer, most people would say no on principle.

 

[Zen86]

Keep in mind that one of the reason he wanted to leave was that Bartomeu and his gang were continuously feeding the press to damage the image of their own players including Messi. He rightfully had a big issue with the board.

Not that I’m suggesting politics weren’t involved, but money has very much been at the centre of everything that has happened in this saga. Which is fine until the crocodile tears come out as you’re signing a bumper contract at PSG.

 

[Skills]

We’ll see, I’m certain Depay will sign and be registered.

Who do you think they'll get rid of? Seems like they're still about 150m above the cap

 

[Adam-Utd]

How has it only made a difference now? What about last season on his existing contract

because the salary cap is new for this season.

spanish finances are so bad they’re having to keep the clubs in line.

Add in COVID and they’ve obviously lost a lot of money this season, a poor showing in the CL too.

 

[JB7]

We’ll see, I’m certain Depay will sign and be registered.

He’ll have already been in Laportas office demanding the number 10!

 

[RedPed]

for the “play for free gang”

for the "not playing for free" gang? Why have they been able to negotiate deals for Depay, Aguero etc., everyone else apart from Messi?

 

[Zen]

Where has this 150k a week for staff come from, not a chance he's paying that out weekly.

Nowhere, I just said 'good chance' based off other factors, LeBron is known for paying well over a million a year to nutrition and fitness experts, Floyd touched upon how his bodyguard and security cost more than one of his opponents purses in a non-Floyd fight, lawyers at this level are unbelievably pricey, agent fees..... plus the rest who are likely to earn less. If others are paying this and Messi is ageing as well as them and is as big(or bigger) than them, you can bet he's paying close to it.

It might not be anyway near, but I doubt it's as cheap as some seemingly think it is... yet play for free! Set up that dude over there for a goal... when he's likely on a goal bonus but you've dropped your assist bonus, it's just... not gonna work. All factors in, including greed, but a clear element of love for the Barca, he dropped to somewhere he felt was right that could continue to motivate him...

 

[Hoof the ball]

Lots of misinformation from a ridiculous number of people who are labouring under the viewpoint that all it would take is for Messi to agree to a a contract worth $1 a week.

Barca are at 95% in terms of revenue to wage expenditure. At the highest end it's normally about 65/70% of revenue on wages. They already said, "with or without Messi", they're in an impossible situation, because it's not about the money he asks for; it's due to the league's rules on registrations that is the issue.

 

[Nickelodeon]

Who do you think they'll get rid of? Seems like they're still about 150m above the cap

I want Frenkie at United. Never a better chance to bully them financially.

 

[JPRouve]

How has it only made a difference now? What about last season on his existing contract

Last season he was exempted due to the fact that he had a preexisting contract.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

for the “play for free gang”

Yeah but he could have avoided being a fraud by paying Barcelona to let him play for them

 

[Adam-Utd]

for the "not playing for free" gang? Why have they been able to negotiate deals for Depay, Aguero etc., everyone else apart from Messi?

because they are that stupid.

they thought the super league would happen so completely ignored it.

now they can’t register depay or aguero either without selling more players.

 

[Tom Cato]

Such an unlikeable character

He's literally the 2nd most club loyal player across the top10 leagues worldwide (2nd behind some goaltender in Russia).

He is by far Barcelonas most iconic player, and he's forced out through no will of his own. Not sure how you manage to find any fault in him for the situation the club finds themselves in.

 

[Adisa]

I'm sure if the club meant that much to him and he wanted to stay, surely he would have done the right thing and gone out on a high and on a 'normal' salary. Even 150-200K per week should have been sufficient because come on, does he really need the money? For two more years?

He would have cemented his legacy as super, super godlike status if he'd done it. I'm probably missing key facts out here, but if it's purely down to his salary, I have no sympathy for him.

The club can mean that much to him but he needs to take care of himself. That should be his priority. Even without his wages, Barcelona are still under water.

 

[Lay]

Such an unlikeable character

Have no idea what is unlikeable from that tweet.

 

[RedPed]

That confirms it anyway. He just dodged the issue about his contract.

 

[JPRouve]

Not that I’m suggesting politics weren’t involved, but money has very much been at the centre of everything that has happened in this saga. Which is fine until the crocodile tears come out as you’re signing a bumper contract at PSG.

Money plays a part but today in the case of Messi it doesn't matter, Barcelona can't register him whether he plays for free or for 1m a day.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

That isn't the way football works, or indeed the way most people work. If it was then half the top footballers in the world would be paying for free as they have "all the money they could want". And you could start going around to people in other professions asking why they don't do their jobs for free either given that (relative to average people) they reach the point where they have enough money long before they're as wealthy as Leo Messi.

He's a professional footballer, not a charity. This is his job, his career, it's not a hobby. He expects to get paid for his work, the same as anyone else. It's no different to asking anyone else to keep doing their job without pay. Even if they have the money to be able to do so and even if they "love" their employer, most people would say no.

By all accounts he wasn’t prepared to take any pay-cut at all, he was in fact going to stay on the Barca payroll after he’d left for the MLS and would ultimately by paid the same absurd wages. Busquets in contrast took a 50% pay-cut as did many other players. Of course this is Messi’s prerogative but despite his shy and humble character I don’t think it’s unreasonable to accuse him and his team of being more interested in money than the fate of Barcelona FC.

 

[rimaldo]

I don't get this. Is it the money? Personally it's never bothered me, and I've never seen anything that made me think Messi was an unlikable character...

Lukaku, now there's an unlikable character.

there are a few reasons. the main one is that at team meals no one is allowed to start eating their food until messi has finished his. he routinely orders hot tomato soup but refuses to eat it until it’s gazpacho temperature. all the while his hungry squad has to wait, their dinners sat idly in front of them, becoming icy cold. messi will often wait until his soup his cold and then loudly exclaim that he’s full before even eating a mouthful and leaves the table. only then can his teammates start their dinner.

 

[Eyepopper]

Also it's important to remember that PSG is an actual football club, that develops and has developed young players for a long time. Yes, they have been bought by QIA recently but it doesn't erase the fact that it's a football club with an history.

Am I missing something here?

They were formed like 50 years ago by a group of businessmen and have been owned by QIA for like a 5th of their existence.

 

[JPRouve]

By all accounts he wasn’t prepared to take any pay-cut at all, he was in fact going to stay on the Barca payroll after he’d left for the MLS and would ultimately by paid the same absurd wages. Busquets in contrast took a 50% pay-cut as did many other players. Of course this is Messi’s prerogative but despite his shy and humble character I don’t think it’s unreasonable to accuse him and his team of being more interested in money than the fate of Barcelona FC.

I'm pretty sure that it was reported that he agreed on a 50% pay cut.

 

[spiriticon]

How do I apply to be a Barca accountant? I reckon the role does not need any relevant qualifications..

 

[FrankDrebin]

There's not a more unlikeable person in football. Even looking at him makes me want to throw-up.
Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh.


But, yeah, I don't get it either. He appears to be a relatively sound guy.

 

[duffer]

Why don't Barca just sell some players? Even the ones not on massive wages going would have a huge impact on their income.

They'd easily find buyers for De Jong, Pedri, Dembele or Dest. That's a quick 200 million right there.

If they're as fecked as the reports suggest, they have to sell on the cheap.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I'm pretty sure that it was reported that he agreed on a 50% pay cut.

I saw it reported that it was just an accounting trick and that he would be paid the rest after he‘d left the club for the MLS.

 

[red4ever 79]

Goat thank you Messi. Fecking emotional

 

[Infra-red]

Starting to look like it might be PSG.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Why don't Barca just sell some players? Even the ones not on massive wages going would have a huge impact on their income.

They'd easily find buyers for De Jong, Pedri, Dembele or Dest. That's a quick 200 million right there.

Reportedly on 400k a week.

 

[Member 101269]

I have no sympathy for Messi.

If you milk a dry udder you get kicked off the stool.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Why don't Barca just sell some players? Even the ones not on massive wages going would have a huge impact on their income.

They'd easily find buyers for De Jong, Pedri, Dembele or Dest. That's a quick 200 million right there.

If they're as fecked as the reports suggest, they have to sell on the cheap.

they’re all on huge wages, they have to actually choose to leave too. If another club isn’t willing to meet their salaries why should they leave

 

[MattofManchester]

He said he had a lot of offers. Hopefully he chooses a not-so culture less club.

 

[mav_9me]

How is Depay and Aguero playing for them then?

for the "not playing for free" gang? Why have they been able to negotiate deals for Depay, Aguero etc., everyone else apart from Messi?

That confirms it anyway. He just dodged the issue about his contract.

Have you read the replies to your posts?