Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[BluechesterCity]

It’s as classless as it gets. After everything Messi has done for Barca and Spanish football in general you’d think they’d respect his wishes and wish him well. But no, they’d rather force him to stay against his will so they don’t lose some money. If I were Messi I’d be beyond pissed off at how they were treating him after giving them the best years of his career.

Barca are running the risk of coming out of this looking absolutely terrible with their reputation in tatters.

How will it look to their current players, potential signings, and their fans?

 

[kaz7]

Sky news ticker has the statement

 

[Marvin]

It's an obstacle but one you would expect. Would any of you expect otherwise from a politican who has abused MCFC for years and is a fierce defendant of La Liga?

I think this guy will just damage barcelona's own interests. What they do is their affair. As someone said above, it is not to do with you Mr Tebas. City, Barcelona and Messi may agree. IF they do not, then FIFA resolve transfer disputes.

Do you really think FIFA will take kindly to Messi being held effective hostage?

 

[bluemanchester]

Exactly. Who is the next superstar in the pecking order in La Liga?

Torres, oh wait he plays for City now.

 

[Marvin]

#FreeMessi

 

[MCFC ISRAEL]

Let's get it to the courts if that fat Spanish gobshite wants it that way.
No biggie.

exactly! What do we have to lose? I do not see any scenario where the court will rule that the price of a 33-year-old player, with a one-season contract, with a clause allowing him to leave for free every summer, will be higher than 100 million euros. In my opinion the chances are that we will even get him for free. F**k Barça let's go to court

 

[Marvin]

Barca are running the risk of coming out of this looking absolutely terrible with their reputation in tatters.

How will it look to their current players, potential signings, and their fans?

This is just the early stages. They will be forced to change approach otherwise they end up with no transfer fee and no player, or even worse their star player in the inside in revolt. A complete disaster of their making. All you have to do is honour the wishes of your greatest player like any respectful club would do so.

Kompany went to Anderlecht a year early. He left with thanks, blessing and tears. Complete contrast

 

[BlueRockape]

Barca are running the risk of coming out of this looking absolutely terrible with their reputation in tatters.

How will it look to their current players, potential signings, and their fans?

Like a lot of Spanish business they only plan for the day they won't think that far forward

 

[Rammy Blue]

Surely if worst comes to worst then Messi just invokes Webster ruling and buys himself out of the contract?

 

[Rammy Blue]

This is just the early stages. They will be forced to change approach otherwise they end up with no transfer fee and no player, or even worse their star player in the inside in revolt. A complete disaster of their making. All you have to do is honour the wishes of your greatest player like any respectful club would do so.

Kompany went to Anderlecht a year early. He left with thanks, blessing and tears. Complete contrast

It’s because the transfer is to us, mate. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[twosips]

La Liga, Tebas, Barca, Bartomeu. All absolutely shitting it.

 

[MarsLlama]

The reason I think this will ultimately happen is that Barca stand to gain very little from forcing him to stay. It'll be bad for PR, bad for their wage bill, bad for morale, and for all they know they'll be left with an unmotivated player who doesn't give them much on the pitch. The huge financial loss could be rewarded with a very bad season from Messi.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

Sky news ticker has the statement

Funny how when its positive news about us and Messi they are hours behind but when its negative news for us they are on it like a tramp on chips

 

[Mayor West]

Is the forum playing up for anyone else? Just non responsive and incredibly slow loading? Or just me?

 

[Metal Biker]

Tebas going up against City... again?

 

[BlueCityfan]

La Liga also tried to stop Neymar from leaving. But they couldn't since PSG paid the clause. I guess we'll see what happens here.

But it is really unusual. There is no way the Premier League would get involved like this.

 

[sir baconface]

Contracts seem to matter little to players, clubs or associations these days. I really feel like the timeis right for fixed transfer fees and performance tied salaries.

How about setting grain quotas too?

 

[Tevez City]

La liga statmentement means Barca are right legally, which means the game is over.

 

[razman]

No surprise

 

[daztrueblue91]

They want to drown the player in red tape but could anything be more damaging to barcelona than madrid and Bartoemeu in conflict with Messi?

barcelona will end up negotiating a transfer because Messi is barcelona. 20 years of his life and it means nothing? On paper maybe, but in practise messi will win.

It is telling that no one has disputed the fact that Messi has a clause in his contract allowing him to leave at the end of each season.

The line of reasoning seems to be that the clause expired on a certain date, that didn’t take into account a pandemic extending the season.

Regardless, of the legality of this, it seems wrong to use a technicality to prevent Messi from utilising a clause he was promised. That does appear to be a shabby way to treat a club legend.

IMO, this is all about the Barca board saving face, especially after the surrender of La Liga to Madrid and the humiliation against Bayern.

They cannot be seen to allow their prize asset to leave for nothing, but at the same time, the longer they keep their prize asset, the more they alienate him and possibly the fans.

I think they’ll end up accepting a bid of £50 million + Garcia and Angelino. Both players will be valued at about £35 million each to allow Barca to claim they recouped £100+ million for him.

Unless Messi backs down, I don’t see any way Barca can keep him and if they turned down a decent bid for him, that would give Messi even more support.