Football (Soccer) Thread

[Liep]

Messi's leaving 

[HVC]

Messi's leaving 

You should try to get Ronaldo

[PDH]

Get his non-union Mexican equivalent!

[The Larch]

Messi's leaving 

It's been such a strange day yesterday. One moment they were reporting that they were really close to announcing that they'd come to an arrangement for registering him and the league announces their big deal that'd give the clubs a ton of free money to clean up house, and then they swerve and almost a month before player registration closes they announce that a deal is impossible and basically cut ties and wash their hands. I'm really curious about what Laporta will say today in his press conference.

[The Larch]

Well, so Laporta has spoken. Don't know if there's a point by point summary somewhere, but apparently it all boils down to:

- The club's financial situation is ruinous at the moment, due to the previous board mismanagement and living above their means for several years.
- The league's operation to give the clubs some last minute economic relief would imply a long term mortgaging of the club's income. (This would normally deserve some further clarification, but not much info has been made public about that deal)
- He does not want to keep giving false hopes and, despite all the efforts by all sides, an arrangement to fit Messi in the club's league imposed wage structure is impossible.
- Their intention was to keep Messi for a further two years and defer those payments to five years further into the future, but this was not accepted by the league.
- They regret that the league is not more flexible with the wage cap, but understand that those are the rules and they have to abide by them.

Cel, what is being reported over there? Am I missing something?

[Threviel]

So, in essence it's La Ligas fault because they won't bend enough backwards and they don't want to give Barcelona free money?

[Duque de Bragança]

Blaming Tebas is a tempting option indeed. 

Time for the QSG jokes with Messi now!

[The Larch]

So, in essence it's La Ligas fault because they won't bend enough backwards and they don't want to give Barcelona free money?

No, the current board blames mostly the previous board for leaving such a financial wasteland behind. The comment about the league is mostly of the "we'd wish they were more flexible, but what can you do, it's the rules" variety, and saying that the money from the deal they just reached came with too many strings attached, but they don't blame the league for Messi leaving. There's still tension between the League and the club, but it predates this situation.

[The Larch]

Blaming Tebas is a tempting option indeed. 

Time for the QSG jokes with Messi now!

Tebas didn't waste any time in poking Laporta as soon as he finished his press conference, as apparently one of the reasons why Barcelona (and Real Madrid) dislike the League deal that had been recently announced was because it conflicted with the Super League project (that flabbergastingly has not yet been fully abandoned by RM and Barça).

[Sheilbh]

Tebas didn't waste any time in poking Laporta as soon as he finished his press conference, as apparently one of the reasons why Barcelona (and Real Madrid) dislike the League deal that had been recently announced was because it conflicted with the Super League project (that flabbergastingly has not yet been fully abandoned by RM and Barça).

Their business reason to need the ESL is even more present now: they're in a difficult financial position and at the same time Man City have broken the Premier League record to sign Jack Grealish and may break it again to sign Harry Kane. That rationale for wanting a super league with lots of money for the clubs in it and really strict controls on spending is still there and getting more urgent.

I've seen tinfoil stuff in the UK about whether this is all an attempt by Barcelona to convince La Liga to drop the salary cap or fudge the rules for Barcelona or lose the biggest star. But from what you guys are saying it seems a lot more serious/real.

[The Larch]

I've seen tinfoil stuff in the UK about whether this is all an attempt by Barcelona to convince La Liga to drop the salary cap or fudge the rules for Barcelona or lose the biggest star. But from what you guys are saying it seems a lot more serious/real.

Yeah, I've seen lots of journos highlighting how this is not a power move or a negotiation tactic, but the cold, bleak reality of the horrible financial situation Barcelona is in at the moment.

[HVC]

how'd the mess up their financial situation so bad? i thought money was rolling in for them in the last decade?

[Tamas]

how'd the mess up their financial situation so bad? i thought money was rolling in for them in the last decade?

As countless countries can attest through history, there is no amount of wealth you can't burn through if you put your mind to it.

[Sheilbh]

This is doing the rounds and explains some of their issues:

[Josquius]

Could it finally see the bubble pop?
If Barcelona can get into such a financial mess... A team which is practically a money printing machine....