The long goodbye: Barca say adios to Messi
When Lionel Messi won an unprecedented sixth Ballon d'Or in December last year, the speculation had already begun over his career at Barcelona after he sought to trigger an exit clause and leave as a free agent.
An April consolation prize of a Spanish Cup success -- his 35th club trophy -- was scant reward.
The 34-year-old Argentine footballing genius has countless times over 17 years with the Catalan club been able to propel the side to glory.
But the club has been imploding off the pitch amid a soaring debt mountain.
Now there are fears for the future on the pitch after the club said Thursday that agreement on a new deal could not be reached "due to economic and structural obstacles" under Spanish League rules, scotching plans for him to remain with his only club for another five years, until 2026, when he would be 39.
The 34-year-old signed his first contract with Barcelona in 2000 on a napkin when he was just 13 but his contract expired on June 30, meaning he could look once again further afield.
In truth, he has been eyeing different horizons for at least two years, however.
Barcelona, despite lifting the La Liga title, collapsed at the end of the 2018-19 season, losing a 3-0 semi-final lead, including two Messi goals, to Liverpool in the Champions League.
They then lost the domestic cup final to Valencia.
If that was bad, worse was to follow in a barren 2020, capped by a shocking Champions League quarter-final humiliation, 8-2 to Bayern Munch in Lisbon.
That abject showing meant a first trophyless season since 2007 and also marked the first time Barca had conceded eight goals in a game since losing to Sevilla 8-0 in the 1946 Spanish Cup.
More significantly, the loss convinced the twinkle-toed talisman his final footballing years lay elsewhere.
The fallout was immediate. Coach Quique Setien was sacked after barely six months in charge and former Camp Nou fan favourite Ronald Koeman came in -- only for Messi to inform the club he wanted "unilaterally" to terminate his contract by triggering a release clause.
Now once again, he is headed for the exit door even if few clubs are likely to have the financial firepower to pay his wages although he is at least available on a free transfer.
The suitors with the deepest pockets are Manchester City, led by Messi's former Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola -- or Paris Saint Germain, where he would link up once again with former teammate Neymar.
City were agonisingly close to European glory last season -- as were PSG the year before -- and the addition of Messi could give Guardiola or Mauricio Pochettino the X-factor as both pursue the one trophy missing from the cabinet.
The growing turmoil enveloping Barcelona has been reflected in Messi's diminishing statistics.
Though he managed 31 goals in all games during the virus-interrupted campaign just ended, it was his lowest return since 2007-08.
Although he hit 30 last year to top the charts to take his club record to 474 it was well off his peak year of 50 league strikes in 2012.
That season he set a European all-time record season tally of 73, breaking Gerd Mueller's 67 goals scored in the 1972-73 German season.
Barcelona have insisted in the past they had plans for coping with Messi's retirement, whenever it came, but the truth is their number 10 is irreplaceable -- on the field as well as off.
According to Catalan financial firm Diagonal Inversiones Messi is worth more than his salary -- by a distance.
The father of three -- married to childhood sweetheart Antonella -- may have earned some 385 million euros ($430 million) in the past four years at Barca.
But a study by the firm indicates he generated income of 619 million euros in that time for a 235.6 million profit. He is also reportedly responsible for 30 percent of club income and eight in ten shirt sales.
Take that out of the equation and Barca will be losing more than just a man who led them to 10 La Liga crowns, four UEFA Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups and six Spanish Cups and who has scored the most goals and most hat-tricks in La Liga while netting more than 700 senior goals for club and country.
For Messi, one more golden hurrah is the hope.
For Barca, who style themselves "more than a club" if this is indeed adios to a superstar who is 'more than a player' his departure will leave a massive hole to fill on the pitch as their number ten seeks pastures new -- and a gargantuan one for their accountants to plug. Somehow.
-
Families of S. Korean detainees in NK appeal to embassies for supportStanford's extra salty electrolyte makes for flameproof batteriesS. Korea, Japan to hold defense ministers' talks next week[Herald Interview] Educating girls ‘way to end poverty’让法治建设成效更加可感可及[Herald Interview] Educating girls ‘way to end poverty’The internet descends upon this super hot selfie of the Queen's former page boyPoland celebrates rise as Central European powerhouseNorth Korea says it conducted important test to develop multiple warhead missileGet Kim Kardashian's Beats Studio Pro on sale for $299.95
- ·If aliens harnessed solar power, could we detect them? NASA investigated.
- ·牧原5年狂掷41亿搞研发,海大研究生最多!你认为哪家企业最有前景?
- ·The Sony WH
- ·N. Korea stipulates nuclear force
- ·Best tablet deals as of August 27
- ·US expert redoubles calls for sturdier deterrence against NK ICBM threats
- ·Stop hating on wearables, they helped me finish an Ironman
- ·NK suspected in Sept. hack of decentralized finance project: report
- ·夜间献血模式“上线”
- ·Know your Olympians: Golden boy Arshad eyes podium finish
- ·Get Kim Kardashian's Beats Studio Pro on sale for $299.95
- ·Stop hating on wearables, they helped me finish an Ironman
- ·Yoon approves labor minister's appointment
- ·Know your Olympians: Golden boy Arshad eyes podium finish
- ·Arrival of NK arms in Russia 'almost certain': British defense ministry
- ·N. Korean threats impede Asian growth: Park
- ·17 Places That Harness the Power of the Sun
- ·New York governor in hot water over shark photos
- ·Six Polish swimmers return from Japan due to error
- ·荔枝+音乐,超赞!茂南乡村歌手唱响“爱的古荔”
- ·To Russia, with Love
- ·US calls on China to encourage NK's return to diplomacy
- ·U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to speak at the 2016 Social Good Summit
- ·Best headphones deal: The Sonos Ace are on sale for the first time ever.
- ·Freedom from Dissent
- ·Here are Trump and Scaramucci's scenes from that Wall Street movie
- ·热浪来袭 科学应对防中暑
- ·S. Korea, Japan to hold defense ministers' talks next week
- ·N. Korean threats impede Asian growth: Park
- ·Donald Trump proved his 'support' for LGBTQ rights is meaningless in just 3 tweets
- ·13 Astronomical Clocks Connecting Time And Space
- ·Researchers perform first gene editing of viable human embryos in U.S.
- ·Best TV deals this week: LG's 2024 C4 OLEDs, cheap QLEDs
- ·Tesla Robotaxis aren't coming in August, it seems
- ·The Wonderful World of Christmas Trees
- ·Best Bose deal: Save up to $150 on Bose headphones and speakers