Messi to leave Barca

It's PSG & City. That's it.
Now that PSG is snapping up players on free transfers, therefor the money is not spreading to other clubs,
then football looks like it'll consume itself.

Even when Barcelona and City were poaching Liverpool players, at least the money allowed
strenghtening through investment. PSG using the Italian club mentality of taking them at the end of contract is worrying.
Just wait it out a year or two and promise the players money other clubs can't afford.

Unless a cap is brought in, football as we know it is dead.

Spot on about the salary cap

https://twitter.com/verderubro/status/1425570809309958153?s=21

It's kind of a pathetic move him going to PSG and one that diminishes his legacy in my eyes. He could show that he was his own man (brand) and choose his own destiny by going his own way, one not motivated by the big dollar or meeting the needs of his brand specialists at Nike.

Imagine if he returned to Argentina? That would have been romantic and would have enshrined his status further. But he's opted for the easy option of going to that shameless circus in Ligue 1.

He doesn't need to win another Champions League or Ballon D'or. It's a morally cheap move with no style or substance.

Where would you rather he go, the shower of mercenaries down the road?

His crocodile tears come one year after he demanded to abandon the Koeman ship. Now his contract has ended, he got his wish. He should be serving time for his tax dodging, not looking to make more money after it.

An unemployed footballer for the last 6 weeks holding a press conference to tell everyone he's off, is weird. Holding it at a club he's not even with, is bizarre. He's 35 and heading for a cushy retirement gig in Paris, score another 30 tap ins a season, win a few more one team league titles but not the European Cup they all crave. Most of his new teammates have many miles on the clock, and other players at other clubs don't.

When we got Barcelona in the European Cup in 2007, he confidently predicted a 3-0 win for them in the first leg. We beat them 2-1 and out they went. He then told his teammates that he would win the European Cup for them. Then they couldn't mark Origi at corners, and out they went to us again. He said he will end his career in Argentina, well away from the top table of the world game. But given all his moodswings down the years at club and international level, even that's not guaranteed.

As regards to astronomical money flying about, it has always been there. City have just blown it on a mid table second rate player, who can only make the bench at international level. He's not even worth half that. But when we were paying out the best part of 2m for new players in the 80's, it was breaking transfer records for the Barnes and the Beardsleys of the game.

Barca have confirmed they have debts of £1.15bn.

Chances of Bob Geldof announcing a rock concert in aid of them increasing by the minute.

Barca have confirmed they have debts of £1.15bn.

Chances of Bob Geldof announcing a rock concert in aid of them increasing by the minute.

Imagine amassing that kind of debt and not having about 20 European Cup trophies to show for it........

Messi must be worth more than Barcelona now after fleecing them with his wage demands over the years. We all knew they were in a Messi  but didn't know it was this bad.

Seems strange Messi not being at Barca but at the same time, regardless of how good he is, he is a large reason why they are in the financial mess. His wage was sky rocketing every year, he would make noises about wanting to leave because they didn't seem as competative anymore and he was wanting them to pay the massive money to get the likes of Coutinho and Griezeman to Barca. It's been well known for a few years now that they were in a mess financially, he could have cut his wage a lot sooner than he did.

Fantastic player no doubt but I don't buy all the crocodile tears when he was leaving because he's out for himself, not the club. He had no tears the year before when he was trying to take legal action against the club because he was that desperate to leave.

As time goes on, I just find him more and more annoying, think it's been since he keeps retiring from the national team whenever Argentina lose - must've done it about 3 times now.

Where would you rather he go, the shower of mercenaries down the road?

His crocodile tears come one year after he demanded to abandon the Koeman ship. Now his contract has ended, he got his wish. He should be serving time for his tax dodging, not looking to make more money after it.

An unemployed footballer for the last 6 weeks holding a press conference to tell everyone he's off, is weird. Holding it at a club he's not even with, is bizarre. He's 35 and heading for a cushy retirement gig in Paris, score another 30 tap ins a season, win a few more one team league titles but not the European Cup they all crave. Most of his new teammates have many miles on the clock, and other players at other clubs don't.

When we got Barcelona in the European Cup in 2007, he confidently predicted a 3-0 win for them in the first leg. We beat them 2-1 and out they went. He then told his teammates that he would win the European Cup for them. Then they couldn't mark Origi at corners, and out they went to us again. He said he will end his career in Argentina, well away from the top table of the world game. But given all his moodswings down the years at club and international level, even that's not guaranteed.

As regards to astronomical money flying about, it has always been there. City have just blown it on a mid table second rate player, who can only make the bench at international level. He's not even worth half that. But when we were paying out the best part of 2m for new players in the 80's, it was breaking transfer records for the Barnes and the Beardsleys of the game.

To be honest I don't know why you're asking that.

Seems strange Messi not being at Barca but at the same time, regardless of how good he is, he is a large reason why they are in the financial mess. His wage was sky rocketing every year, he would make noises about wanting to leave because they didn't seem as competative anymore and he was wanting them to pay the massive money to get the likes of Coutinho and Griezeman to Barca. It's been well known for a few years now that they were in a mess financially, he could have cut his wage a lot sooner than he did.

Fantastic player no doubt but I don't buy all the crocodile tears when he was leaving because he's out for himself, not the club. He had no tears the year before when he was trying to take legal action against the club because he was that desperate to leave.

As time goes on, I just find him more and more annoying, think it's been since he keeps retiring from the national team whenever Argentina lose - must've done it about 3 times now.

Find myself agreeing with this as well.

I'm not one who expects him to play for free or other such nonsense but don't buy the tears really.

Seems strange Messi not being at Barca but at the same time, regardless of how good he is, he is a large reason why they are in the financial mess. His wage was sky rocketing every year, he would make noises about wanting to leave because they didn't seem as competative anymore and he was wanting them to pay the massive money to get the likes of Coutinho and Griezeman to Barca. It's been well known for a few years now that they were in a mess financially, he could have cut his wage a lot sooner than he did.

Fantastic player no doubt but I don't buy all the crocodile tears when he was leaving because he's out for himself, not the club. He had no tears the year before when he was trying to take legal action against the club because he was that desperate to leave.

As time goes on, I just find him more and more annoying, think it's been since he keeps retiring from the national team whenever Argentina lose - must've done it about 3 times now.

I think now that he has gone Barca can rebuild & allow the youngsters & news additions to flourish as I found Messi being a huge weight on the club..

Barca will look back and be thankful he left when & how he did..

I think despite the rocky relationship Messi and Barca had the past couple of season when you are at place for that long (20 plus years) would be difficult to accept finally leaving.

I agree with the comment above about the Barca being better off for it, as much as it sounds crazy to cut ties with a player who provides so much and one of the greatest players ever to play it allows the rebuilding process to start though it is going to be rough.

I figure he would want to stay playing ar a top level for the next couple years since there is going to be one last chance for him to get a World Cup then after that bolt off to MLS or Newells Old Boys.