The Messi case brutally bursts dreams
| Reading time: 3 minutes
Messi and Barça – how it all began
A look back at the early days of superstar Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona, the club the Argentine wants to leave after 20 years.
Ironically, Lionel Messi, the idol of millions, is on strike to force his departure from FC Barcelona. This may be legally understandable – but it will have fatal consequences: for Messi, for Barcelona, for the fans and football as a whole.
EThere are processes that may be legally explainable, but they are simply too abstract to be understood: for everyone for whom a contribution of 700 million euros is something that cannot be imagined even with a lot of imagination. So probably for 99.9 percent of humanity.
700 million – that is the amount in dispute that the Lionel Messi case is about. And he will ensure that there is an ugly mud fight. He will ensure that the unprecedentedly successful 20-year collaboration between the six-time World Footballer of the Year and perhaps the most popular football club has to be divorced.
What happened? Messi has decided to leave Barça. That is understandable – both from his point of view and from the point of view of the club, even if those responsible at FC Barcelona are of course not allowed to say this openly. Because that’s way too much money.
All the long years … But now it should be shot
Source: pa / imageBROKER / Michael Weber
But that it is high time for a radical cut, there can be no two opinions. Barça need a new team, a new hierarchy, a new spirit. And none of that can happen with Messi anymore.
After 20 years, Lionel Messi could leave FC Barcelona. The club is fighting for its superstar
Source: dpa / Nick Potts
So Messi and his advisors started to say goodbye: First Messi resigned by registered mail. He relied on a clause in his contract that allowed him to switch for free – if he had announced this intention by June 10th. He missed this date, but Messi is referring to the spirit of the agreement: What is meant is a date after the end of the season – and that has only just been achieved because of the Corona crisis.
A legal opinion that the Barça bosses are almost forced to contradict. If they didn’t, they would give up their claim to the same 700 million euros – the amount that would be due if another club should buy him out of the contract.
So Messi ignited the next level of escalation. Spanish media reported that he did not appear for the first training session as part of preparation for the coming season and evaded the mandatory corona test. Had he been there – he would have weakened his understandable legal position. It seems unbelievable: of all people, Messi, the model professional, is on strike.
Idol of all ages: what to do with the saint’s jersey?
Source: dpa
The case shows how far football has moved from its base, the fans. It will do a lot of damage to the millions of boys around the world who are kicking the streets and parks around the world wearing a number ten Barcelona jersey and who cannot understand what is happening to their idol right now.
He will harm Barcelona. The club will be considered ungrateful to one of the greatest players to ever wear their colors. He will harm Messi who is putting his saint status at risk.
But the Messi case also shows that football has long since become a hostage to money – that although it can still create dreams, it can also brutally destroy dreams.
This is not a new finding – but it hurts again and again.
.
