The football world received a tremendous shock in August 2021 when it was announced that Lionel Messi, due to financial problems surrounding Liga La and issues with Financial Fair Play, could not register with Barcelona FC and had to leave.
Lionel Messi achieved one of his greatest aspirations in his career when he guided Argentina to an international championship in the summer of 2021. Messi, for the first time, put an end to a 28-year period without any trophies for his nation and played a remarkable part in La Albiceleste’s triumph in the Copa America.
Within 24 hours or less, Barcelona announced that they couldn’t afford to let Messi go and had re-signed him. It was a formal contractual re-signing announcement that took U-turn extremely quickly. It seemed like only a matter of time before Messi would extend his contract with Barcelona, continuing the story of his career and his life with the club until the end.
Although it has been over a year since Messi’s departure from Barcelona, the details surrounding his tumultuous exit and the reasons behind why he chose to leave remain cloudy. Despite this, his arrival in Paris and his decision to remain there are still shrouded in uncertainty.
Lionel Messi at Barcelona: By Statistics
On the evening of August 5, 2021, Lionel Messi announced via their social media that he was leaving Barcelona as a free agent, due to the dire economic problems registered by the league. This tweet sent shockwaves around the football world, as nobody could even see Messi’s teammates and players in Barcelona.
Initially, the club website must have been compromised, as the live stream insisted on Aguero, who had joined the club that season partly with the intention of playing alongside his closest companion Messi at club level in his final years. Meanwhile, everyone believed it was a prank involving Frenkie De Jong, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets.
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Barcelona fans appeared to be suddenly and unexpectedly struck by lightning. However, everyone eventually realized the truth.
Messi and his family, accompanied by his father Jorge, who also acts as his representative, arrived in Barcelona from their vacation as quickly as they could in order to discuss the renewal of his contract. His previous agreement had ended on June 30. To assist the club financially, Messi had even chosen to decrease his salary by 50% and had recently reached an agreement to sign a new two-year contract with Barcelona. Messi’s departure came as an even greater shock.
ESPN informed a source in the locker room that Messi was confident he was remaining. After finalizing the agreement, he had conversations with individuals regarding returning to work. Nonetheless, that scenario never materialized. The president failed to fulfill his commitment. He assured Messi that he would be able to sign, but it didn’t materialize. Following the Burofax (transfer request) the previous summer, Messi was convinced that he desired to depart. His decision was final. Whenever he desired to depart, he stayed, and whenever he desired to remain, he departed.
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In 778 matches, netting 672 goals, Messi was not only the top appearance-maker for the team but also its all-time leading goal-scorer. He had dedicated 21 years to Barcelona since coming from Argentina as a young person. On August 8, Barcelona organized a press briefing for Messi during which the seven-time Ballon d’Or recipient shed tears while having to say farewell to the club he cherished.
Lionel Messi, amidst a myriad of other trophies, has attained remarkable triumph, propelling Barcelona to unprecedented levels. With his presence, the team secured four Champions League accolades and 11 La Liga championships.
The economic factors behind Messi’s departure from Barcelona
The irony is that Lionel Messi actually wanted to leave Barcelona in 2020 because he perceived the former board led by President Josep Maria Bartomeu and the club’s management as continuously incompetent, and he refused to grant his request to depart and take his beloved club to court because he didn’t want to stay up ended. He even sent a burofax to inform the club about his decision and was close to signing with Manchester City.
The Argentinian prodigy was assured to be extended by former President Joan Laporta, who was re-elected and had facilitated Messi’s inaugural appearance in the senior team back in 2003 while serving as president. Subsequent presidential elections took place.
However, Laporta actually took charge when he realized that the economic situation was much worse than he had anticipated. The La Liga club needed to borrow a substantial loan from Goldman Sachs just to meet payroll requirements for the summer, resulting in €487m of losses posted for the 2020-21 season.
The reduction in spending contributed to the debts because the new contract of Messi wouldn’t be registered with La Liga, but it was revealed that it was not due to the club’s debt. Although both parties intended to sign a new contract, it was revealed that it wouldn’t be registered with La Liga due to their strict financial fair play regulations. It became apparent that Messi registering with Barcelona was going to be a major problem.
Barcelona was forced to depart and Messi’s agreement could not be officially recorded with La Liga despite accepting a 50% salary reduction due to these circumstances. The current regulation in La Liga, referred to as the 1/4 rule, permits the club to utilize only a quarter of the amount they have saved. At the commencement of the 2021/22 season, this amount dropped significantly from nearly €600m to below €100m, resulting in an 83% decrease in the club’s budget. To comply with the Financial Fair Play regulations, all clubs in La Liga are subject to a maximum spending limit.
The company would provide over €200m in exchange for 10% of the television rights for their teams, as part of a deal that includes almost all clubs in addition to the three signed teams in La Liga.
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To prevent any instances of financial fraud or misconduct, La Liga regulations prohibit such occurrences, thereby preventing Messi from reducing his salary any further or playing for free. President Joan Laporta regarded it as jeopardizing the future of the club, even with the presence of the greatest player in history, Lionel Messi. Nevertheless,
ESPN informed a representative of the league, “Every player has a possibility of having their salary reduced based on various factors, including age, expertise, and accomplishments. However, the salary can be decreased due to the regulations on financial control.” They also mentioned, “It is not permissible to play for no payment or with a wage that is below what is appropriate for a player of their caliber in a standard market. This measure is primarily taken to prevent fraudulent activities and to ensure that the salary is paid through proper tax channels rather than with non-tangible funds.”
The Impact of Messi’s Departure from FC Barcelona on the Club
Messi, being the genius that he was, was respected and revered by everyone. Not only was he the commander and leader of the dressing room, but he was also the face of the club and its captain. It was obvious that Messi was not just any ordinary player, as he had won numerous trophies and had spent a significant number of years with the club.
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According to a coaching source who spoke to ESPN, “Individuals were skeptical about the events unfolding. There was a lack of noise, with no lighthearted banter. It resembled the day after it was disclosed that Guardiola would not be continuing as the coach [in 2012]. The initial session without him had the atmosphere of a solemn occasion. Evidently, his departure greatly impacted every teammate.”
Messi’s former teammate Xavi was appointed as the head coach, while manager Ronald Koeman was sacked, resulting in Barcelona’s relegation to the Europa League and a dreadful start to the league last season. The training sessions began with a different tempo and a more relaxed atmosphere, which continued for several weeks and days.
The season concluded without any major achievements for Barcelona, as they faced ongoing challenges. Despite their impressive 4-0 victory against eventual league and European champions Real Madrid, Barcelona encountered difficulties. However, their performance gradually improved as the season progressed.
Since then, they have acquired and officially enlisted players such as Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, and Franck Kessie by generating more than €700m through the sale of club possessions during the summer. Consequently, they have transitioned from competing in the Champions League to participating in the Europa League in consecutive seasons in his absence. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Barcelona continues to feel the absence of Messi and his indispensable skills in securing victories during important matches.
FAQs
What was the duration of Messi’s tenure at Barcelona?
Lionel Messi was a part of the club for a combined duration of 21 years, encompassing his tenure in Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia.
After departing Barcelona, which club did Messi join?
Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after departing from Barcelona.
How many national championships has Lionel Messi earned?
Additionally included in the count are the 2008 Olympics gold medal in the event that he possesses three championships. Lionel Messi, alongside Argentina’s national team, emerged victorious in two major competitions – the FIFA World Cup and the Copa America.
What are the career figures of Messi with Barcelona?
Messi has also claimed an unprecedented 35 titles – the highest number achieved by any player in the club or in Spain. Moreover, Messi holds the all-time records for Barcelona with 672 goals in 778 matches.