4 - Ronald Araújo

[soul24rage]

Bartomeu realised this too late

Bartomeu: "After Messi's renewal, some other players came to us saying 'me too, me too!"

The most incompetent and fragile president of all time.

Single handedly led us to this financial situation.

 

[Messigician]

Single handedly led us to this financial situation.

Id say Covid may have played a part mate

 

[soul24rage]

Id say Covid may have played a part mate

But yet, we are the one who suffered the most out of the big clubs.

Covid exposed his incompetence.

 

[Messigician]

But yet, we are the one who suffered the most out of the big clubs.

We rely on camp nou revenue more than other clubs tbh

Isn’t really fair to compare our club to other clubs which are not member owned

Either corporation owned like Bayern

Or State owned like City and PSG

 

[soul24rage]

We rely on camp nou revenue more than other clubs tbh

Isn’t really fair to compare our club to other clubs which are not member owned

Either corporation owned like Bayern

Or State owned like City and PSG

I never compared Barca's situation to state owned like City or PSG

 

[Messigician]

I never compared Barca's situation to state owned like City or PSG

U said other big clubs innit

 

[M3ls]

Birdy​

I understand your message and concerns regarding player salaries. I wrote about this problem back in 2018. And I perfectly understand your desire to see a salary policy in Barcelona like in Liverpool, but the salaries of Liverpool players are some kind of inexplicable anomaly. Yes, I still admit that a contract of 8-9 million euros for Kounde would be more or less acceptable. But this is a player whom Xavi literally demanded with tears in his eyes.

If I were president, would I give Kounde 13.5 million euros? No, I would stop at 8-9 million euros. Will I be against extending Kounde's contract with a salary increase? Yes, I will be against it.

 

[Porque]

65m for someone who wants to leave is not bad. And knowing how well this club usually sells I doubt we would negotiate anywhere close to that fee with only a year left on his contract.

That said hope he'll stay around longterm.

In reality the clauses shouldn't even be part of pro football in Spain these days.

But alas, in this example it works both ways benefiticial.

 

[serghei]

Bartomeu realised this too late

Bartomeu: "After Messi's renewal, some other players came to us saying 'me too, me too!"

Bartomeu should have said to each of those, how many Ballon d'Ors do you have?

 

[soul24rage]

U said other big clubs innit

More talking about clubs likes of Liverpool, Utd and Inter

State owned clubs have a cheat code

 

[Birdy]

Birdy​

I understand your message and concerns regarding player salaries. I wrote about this problem back in 2018. And I perfectly understand your desire to see a salary policy in Barcelona like in Liverpool, but the salaries of Liverpool players are some kind of inexplicable anomaly. Yes, I still admit that a contract of 8-9 million euros for Kounde would be more or less acceptable. But this is a player whom Xavi literally demanded with tears in his eyes.

If I were president, would I give Kounde 13.5 million euros? No, I would stop at 8-9 million euros. Will I be against extending Kounde's contract with a salary increase? Yes, I will be against it.

Had Laporta stopped at 8-9m gross, that's a different story

But had Laporta stopped there for Kounde, he would have done the same with others:
Ansu would be getting MAX 7-8m gross, Ferret 6-7m gross, Inigo 6-7 m gross, etc.
And of course Lewandowski would not have gotten more than 13-14m gross at the age of 34
It's not rock science: it's simple valuations based on the market.

But Laporta does not understand this very simple principle that forms sound wage structures.
He cannot shake off himself the bad habit of overpaying to appease his agent-buddies, and still stuck in his mind to the 2003 way of doing business in football

 

[Porque]

Had Laporta stopped at 8-9m gross, that's a different story

But had Laporta stopped there for Kounde, he would have done the same with others:
Ansu would be getting MAX 7-8m gross, Ferret 6-7m gross, Inigo 6-7 m gross, etc.
And of course Lewandowski would not have gotten more than 13-14m gross at the age of 34
It's not rock science: it's simple valuations based on the market.

But Laporta does not understand this very simple principle that forms sound wage structures.
He cannot shake off himself the bad habit of overpaying to appease his agent-buddies, and still stuck in his mind to the 2003 way of doing business in football

Agreed. But have you ever been part of a bidding war?

I have overpaid for some assets precisely because a bidding war was started. One in particular I regret, the rest I am fine to pay that bit more to secure as it was worth it, and have even increased in value and sold tenfold.

To contextualise, this is why we went so big on Kounde. The management were feeling a bit flush signing the levers and decided to go all in on building the best squad they believed for that moment in time. Knowing if they sign guys like Lewy, Raphi, etc that it should provide first team quality for a few years while we hit subsequent austerity. And by and large, it worked- just that the managerial bet was Xavi who had his limitations for Europe certainly.

Anyways back to Kounde, he was the si o si option, and then Chelsea joined in. So we had two options, drop interest and put that money into someone else (who at that point of time god forbid would probably have been Juan Foyth) or pay an extra 1-3m on the salary to secure our option 1. We chose the latter.

So the point of this is, the Kounde wage in isolation should be valued in that perspective. But I think it has worked out well and despite him being signed for CB, he has turned into the best RB in LaLiga for atleast 2 seasons now.

Bartomeu had something similar with Frenkie, and went full weekend at Vegas with other peoples money That Nobita looking f*cker.

 

[Joan]

That’s easier said than done. Ideally, yes. We offer lower wages. And advocate for world peace. And Laporta becomes Mister Espana.

If Laporta had really stuck to those wage limits, he might have missed out on quite a few players from the list. Kounde and Inigo included. Some contracts are indeed outrageous, with Ferran’s standing out the most. But at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Best way to limit wage growth is to do proper scouting. But that’s another truism.

 

[Birdy]

Agreed. But have you ever been part of a bidding war?

I have overpaid for some assets precisely because a bidding war was started. One in particular I regret, the rest I am fine to pay that bit more to secure as it was worth it, and have even increased in value and sold tenfold.

To contextualise, this is why we went so big on Kounde. The management were feeling a bit flush signing the levers and decided to go all in on building the best squad they believed for that moment in time. Knowing if they sign guys like Lewy, Raphi, etc that it should provide first team quality for a few years while we hit subsequent austerity. And by and large, it worked- just that the managerial bet was Xavi who had his limitations for Europe certainly.

Anyways back to Kounde, he was the si o si option, and then Chelsea joined in. So we had two options, drop interest and put that money into someone else (who at that point of time god forbid would probably have been Juan Foyth) or pay an extra 1-3m on the salary to secure our option 1. We chose the latter.

So the point of this is, the Kounde wage in isolation should be valued in that perspective. But I think it has worked out well and despite him being signed for CB, he has turned into the best RB in LaLiga for atleast 2 seasons now.

Bartomeu had something similar with Frenkie, and went full weekend at Vegas with other peoples money That Nobita looking f*cker.

That’s easier said than done. Ideally, yes. We offer lower wages. And advocate for world peace. And Laporta becomes Mister Espana.

If Laporta had really stuck to those wage limits, he might have missed out on quite a few players from the list. Kounde and Inigo included. Some contracts are indeed outrageous, with Ferran’s standing out the most. But at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Best way to limit wage growth is to do proper scouting. But that’s another truism.

Kounde as a player simply did not warrant the overpaying and getting into any bidding war. Period.

If you had told me that we are talking about a differential player, like Neymar in 2013, VVD when Pool got him in 2018, etc. then yes maybe overpaying or entering the bidding war is warranted.

But in that list there is only a few players the last 20 years or so.

Laporta overpaid for everyone: Kounde, oldy Lewa, oldy Gundo, oldy Inigo, damn Ferret.
What are we even talking about?
Guy gives away money to everyone passing outside club offices FFS


NO MORE EXCUSES and WHITEWASHING for LAPORTA
He is to be held accountable for the wages he gave