Lionel Messi

[Mercurial]

If he ends up at City, do you guys reckon the "Messi, club legend" statue will be up in from of Ethiad after his first goal or first assist?

They are a bit low on 'football heritage' as the rumor goes so probably yes, in some form or another, but maybe after 2 goals and 3 assists they will call it something else but it will happen. . It's a huge prestige win for them no matter how it ends. Shirt sales and hamburgers and box wine will sell like mad. Best part is Woodward won't sleep well for a year having missed out.

 

[GhastlyHun]

If he ends up at City, do you guys reckon the "Messi, club legend" statue will be up in front of Ethiad after his first goal or first assist?

They're probably melting down David Silva's statue as we speak.

 

[Hammerfell]

This board chased away they're best manager in Pep and now about to chase away there best player Messi. I genuinely have no issue with that crap they face, nevertheless i fear for them and their families if Messi goes, people will seek vengeance and blood.

It’s a game.

 

[Sayros]

David Silva is a nobody compared to Messi he is basically irrelevant. Messi going there is a big deal because it shows crooked politicking and dirty money won. It’s a disgrace to the game and we should be at war against a sport that allows clubs like City and PSG to flourish.

Messi has been a pure thing in world football when it comes to pure talent & he means more than Manchester City in the game. It’s a shame he would join them and be complicit in their devious actions.

Again Barcelona won all those trophies not Manchester City. They just want the reflected glory because they are a poor mans Barcelona without history or passion. A soulless entity with ambitions that aren’t even about football. Football means nothing in their agenda.

It’s all about face for a country thousands of miles away that shouldn’t have any links to our game either financially or historically. Theft of our sporting culture too, we could go on.

Clubs like Real Madrid are looked as a great now because enough time passed that no one cares anymore how they got to become Real Madrid under Franco's rule. So it will be the same with clubs like City, PSG, or Chelsea who's already getting past the Abramovich effect. No one is going to care after enough time/success, and getting a player like Messi for City doesn't devalue Messi IMO, but it elevates City to a new level of prestige for the average fan who's not bothered about wild theories of theft of sporting culture or souls of clubs, that's a tiny minority and they don't really matter to the overall narrative of clubs, football, and especially the media which unfortunately controls the narrative more often than not.

 

[Luke1995]

Wouldn't it just be easier for him to play this upcoming season for them and then leave next summer anyway ?

Would be crazy if due to not being allowed to leave, he takes a sabbatical

 

[Pretzels81]

Wouldn't it just be easier for him to play this upcoming season for them and then leave next summer anyway ?

Would be crazy if due to not being allowed to leave, he takes a sabbatical

Unfortunately, Messi lacks personality. He's all about tantrums and hiding behind his daddy/lawyers.

 

[Peyroteo]

Surely he should have come out with a statement by now? Barca fans deserve a clear explanation at the very least

 

[predator]

So is he unemployed then?

Woody, offer him a job now!

 

[royalewithcheese2006]

You just haven’t gotten a clue what you’re talking about is the problem. There’s no point in you even posting in this thread when you have no idea about his contract or what his happening with the club. Glad I won’t have to listen to these awful takes from you anymore cuz it’s just baffling what you spout

To be fair to him, I see where he's coming from. I agree with you on how Messi is the goat and he's leaving due to issues with the board.
However, this is starting to look like a pattern, isn't it? Retires each time Argentina lose a major final and here again, he's pretty much taking the easy way out after Barca's worst moment in years. You probably know that there have been issues with board for years now but he seems to be leaving at a time where Barca are actually trying to clean house and rebuild. Suarez has been mediocre this season and there were barca fans calling for him to be replaced for months now. Koeman comes in and does exactly that and Messi immediately sees that he is going to have less of an influence on club decisions now and decides to call it in. Seems a bit like a low blow to just leave when Barca need him the most.
Even as a Man United fan, I have mixed feelings about Ronaldo now and believe that he used us a few times for better contracts but he honestly doesn't look the kind of guy to leave when things get tough. I'd cite his initial years at madrid where they didn't win much and repeatedly got hammered by barca as an example. Same with the current season where a lot of the juve squad let them down in the UCL. The fact that Messi just wants to walk away the minute his teams lose instead of sticking around for a challenge seems a lot like him throwing a fit when he doesn't get his way.

 

[trims]

Wouldn't it just be easier for him to play this upcoming season for them and then leave next summer anyway ?

Would be crazy if due to not being allowed to leave, he takes a sabbatical

He'll be 34 next year and can't guarantee that the clubs with a chance at the UCL will be in for him. Its also understandable that he's had enough of missing out on trophies for the last 5 years whilst the board have wasted 1B euros on bad transfers and hiring the wrong managers.

 

[cyberman]

He'll be 34 next year and can't guarantee that the clubs with a chance at the UCL will be in for him. Its also understandable that he's had enough of missing out on trophies for the last 5 years whilst the board have wasted 1B euros on bad transfers and hiring the wrong managers.

He wouldn't join City if after CL glory

 

[NinjaZombie]

I'm still not convinced he'll leave. This is the guy who's announced his retirement from international football at least a couple of times, only to backtrack once things behind the scenes are settled to his liking.

Koeman saying Messi doesn't have privileges means little. If I was the best footballer in the world, I'd back myself to be able to make a better contribution the team's chances with myself in it than whatever Ronald Koeman could muster up without me.

Threatening to leave puts the current president's and board's chances of being relected next year in serious jeopardy. Besides, he can still leave next year if the board by some miracle manage to get relected. Hell, maybe Koeman would be gone by then.

 

[MrEleson]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

 

[trims]

He wouldn't join City if after CL glory

Who should he join then?

Only clubs in a better position are Bayern and PSG.

Barcelona are a mess. A recent story from Marca came out showing that they were looking to give Griezmann back to Atletico to swap for Joao Felix. This shows how there's a lack of strategy in the direction of the club and they have just hired a manager who hasn't won a league title outside of Holland or a European trophy despite managing for 20 years.

 

[Peyroteo]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

 

[cyberman]

Who should he join then?

Only clubs in a better position are Bayern and PSG.

Barcelona are a mess. A recent story from Marca came out showing that they were looking to give Griezmann back to Atletico to swap for Joao Felix. This shows how there's a lack of strategy in the direction of the club and they have just hired a manager who hasn't won a league title outside of Holland or a European trophy despite managing for 20 years.

PSG, Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern. Hell Barca last year got as far in the CL as City have in their entire existence.

He can lower his wage demands and join a genuine CL contender but, lets be honest, theres a reason why City and PSG are his only suitors.
In no way are City a CL contending side. Dont let the propaganda machine get to you.
They are as much CL contenders as we are league challengers.

 

[littleman]

Messi lacking confidence in Barca's board and management = he's going to look for something he has confidence in.

The only other person he's worked with before, in world football, in a club that is doing well and has a shot at global honors, with whom he's had plenty of success before.. is Pep @ City.

If we're talking about other options with strong existing teams that have potential global success without a working history with Messi that'd be Zidane @ Real (impossible), Klopp @ Liverpool (if they ever wanted to pay that much), Bayern, PSG and Juventus (unlikely given $$ with Ronaldo on payroll).

We belong to the next tier down -- we can afford him, but our prospects aren't as immediately bright as the teams above. I'd be overjoyed if Messi joined us, as that'd likely mean winning the PL next season. But really, why us instead of Pep/City? No brainer.


(Lastly, I don't believe in the "history" argument.. if we all believed that, there's no room for football to grow.. it'd be forever trapped in haves and have-nots. There have been plenty of clubs with history that have fallen by the wayside e.g. Nottingham Forest. Whether we like it or not, and whether the source reason is just or not given the dark oil money and flagrant rule breaking.. City is history in the making. Not huge history, but relative to where they've started from.. yeah, it is)

 

[Striker10]

Messi should sign for United and try to out do what Ronaldo did He won't but he should.

 

[KungPaoChicken]

Kind of sad to see Messi most likely leave like this. He has been at the club for 17 years, if he had played his cards right he could have left the club on at least somewhat good terms. Many fans would not blame him for at spending his last couple of years at a different club especially when you look at how poorly the club has been managed by the president last few years. This could seriously tarnish his legacy at Barcelona.

I think barcelona might hit roadbump for a couple of windows now. They will struggle to attract top talent and players.

 

[arthurka]

It kind of feels good not to be the only club in the shits..

 

[Rolaholic]

Barcelona had 1 European title to their name before Messi, he'll leave with them having 5 now.

His legacy has long been set in stone and any suggestion to the contrary is purely reactionary and emotional, not fact based.

He'll be much better off without Barcelona than they will be without him and they know that which is why they're reportedly willing to go to court over a technicality to try to squeeze a few extra months out of him after 19 years at the club regardless of how poorly and small time it makes them look.

They'll take a bigger image hit having an ugly divorce than he will.

 

[FujiVice]

Barcelona had 1 European title to their name before Messi, he'll leave with them having 5 now.

Well, 2 European Cups. You can hardly give him the 2006 one.

 

[The Man Himself]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

Satanic dwarf

 

[Mr Pigeon]

So is someone really going to need to pay that €600 odd million in his clause or is that just the league being morons?

 

[Vidyoyo]

Barcelona had 1 European title to their name before Messi, he'll leave with them having 5 now.

His legacy has long been set in stone and any suggestion to the contrary is purely reactionary and emotional, not fact based.

He'll be much better off without Barcelona than they will be without him and they know that which is why they're reportedly willing to go to court over a technicality to try to squeeze a few extra months out of him after 19 years at the club regardless of how poorly and small time it makes them look.

They'll take a bigger image hit having an ugly divorce than he will.

True. Barcelona were notoriously inconsistent before that super squad formed. They went 6 years without winning the title between 99-05.

Obviously we're a bit shit and shouldn't throw glass rocks in greenhouses but still true.

 

[Rolaholic]

Well, 2 European Cups. You can hardly give him the 2006 one.

Sure, fair enough given that it was his first full season in the first team. He was still the talisman during 8 league titles and 3 CL winning runs (including 2 I'd rather forget as a United fan)

Point it is that that won't ever change regardless of how he might leave. He's unquestionably their greatest player ever and has helped them achieve things far and beyond their wildest dreams prior to his arrival.

The club refusing to allow an amicable exit reflects worse on them than the player in this case in my eyes after what he's provided them

 

[Paxi]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

See you never you satanic dwarf.

 

[Harry190]

That's not what some lawyers in Spain are saying though. If there is a date, it's the date having the final word and not the term "season".

As a point of law, they are wrong on this one. The underlying principle guiding the date is the season. That would pass through any North American court of arbitration. But I am not privy to all the details in the contract. There could be something else at play. But I doubt it.

 

[UncleBob]

What are you laughing at? Do you have any idea how many watching la liga regulary (and pays for it) due to their favourite players? La Liga distribute €1,4 Billion In TV money 2019. Let’s see the next 5 years how much it will be and then compare it to other leagues. Im sure it will be hundreds of million over these years.

Priceless

 

[Zehner]

He wouldn't join City if after CL glory

He might see that differently.

 

[Sayros]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

That is hilarious! When he goes off on his kids I was in tears!

 

[Withnail]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

I was just about to post this

 

[Gehrman]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

That can't be real

 

[pratyush_utd]

You just haven’t gotten a clue what you’re talking about is the problem. There’s no point in you even posting in this thread when you have no idea about his contract or what his happening with the club. Glad I won’t have to listen to these awful takes from you anymore cuz it’s just baffling what you spout

Are you seriously suggesting on a United forum where i should post? I have no problems Messi leaving or staying. As far as being a United, it doesn't really matter to me. You compared Messi as someone who takes 1m a week (deserved salary) as some sort of charity footballer who should be freed while Ronaldo asking for salary is mercenary. I called you out for your awful take. So spare me your bs. You are on ignore list now.

Facts are straight, Messi left Argentina team when they were in mess. Retired twice before he got his way. Barcelona got hammered in Champions league and when (reportedly) he was told, he no longer has the same power that he enjoyed, he decided to leave your football club. You can be delusional about it, it doesn't really change anything. As far as knowing what is happening inside, its fair to say, even you are not privy to that information. So please dont act like one.

As far as Messi is concerned, he can go to whichever club he wants to go. That was never the point. You mentioned Ronaldo's ambition as "mercenary" while Messi is going to Man City of all clubs. If you cant see your bias then i cant help you. Infact there was no reason to bring up Ronaldo. Thats why i think you are trolling.

 

[Sandikan]

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I don’t know if this video has been shared anywhere already but I’m in hysterics Incredible stuff.

No-one will remember Messi apparently!

 

[Ish]

Can’t really blame players nearing the end of their careers wanting to join a team who can help them compete to win the major (team and individual) trophies.

Only wished we were in the race for his signature but hopefully we still end up with Sancho and rather build towards the next 3-5 years.

 

[Ish]

No-one will remember Messi apparently!

yep he’ll be forgotten

 

[Harry190]

I fear for Messi's safety now. It's clearly taking a bad turn now that the Barcelona flora and fauna has understood that it's really happening.

Also, he won't take a pay cut. He'll never take a pay cut. He'll actually get a raise and a hefty sign on bonus with his new club. He'd have to be a moron not to.

He's not gonna go back to Argentina and leave all that money on the table. He's more European than Argentinean at this point.

 

[cyberman]

He might see that differently.

He might pretend differently

 

[Zehner]

He might pretend differently

Then why would he join them? To win domestic titles? He's got more than enough of them. Apparently he told Guardiola he wants anotger two Balon D'Ors and it's quite obvious which kind of titles are required for that.