Football is a business, it's all about numbers. Messi thrilled in Barcelona, but also benefited financially.
Messi's tears at the press conference were real, his departure from Barcelona is certainly causing him great pain after all these years. But if he had really wanted to stay at Barcelona, then creative means would have been found. Even if there are legal frameworks that allegedly made it impossible to stay. Where there is a will, there is a way. That goes for Barcelona, Messi and maybe all of Spain. Conversely, imagine that Messi had stood up and announced that he would also play for a sandwich because he wanted to give something back to the club. What an earthquake that would have been, it would have become a legend outside of sports too.
But I don't want to limit this topic to Barcelona, because that would be far too short-sighted. When it comes to fans, the image of the big family and solidarity generally resonates. It's a dream of an ideal world. At the end of the day, however, there is rarely loyalty and gratitude. And the players who are scattered around the club also hold out their hand and want to earn well. Nobody plays for free, not even a Messi. He thrilled in Barcelona, celebrated many successes with the club, but he also profited and collected up to 70 million per season.
Everyone benefits from the system
Football is a rock-hard business, it's all about bare numbers. That goes for both sides, for the players as well as for the clubs. One must not indulge in an illusion and always carry the word “club loyalty” with meaning. A club sees a player as the capital that needs to be earned. In some leagues, players are also viewed as numbers, as employees who can be changed at any time. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure on the players and performance is demanded week after week. But you shouldn't complain either, because you too will benefit from this system.
Imagine #messi would have extended his contract at Barca, accepting a massive salary cut which brings him “only” 3-5 millions per year.
Imagine #messi states that with this move he wants to pay back his beloved club for everything they've done for him, also economically.
– Marc Janko (@JankoMarc) August 8, 2021
Not only in professional football, but in our society in general, the bank statement has in most cases become an expression of appreciation. In the lockdown, the cashiers were applauded, wage increases were promised. But nothing happened after that.
