Pique has publicly agreed,
True.
Busi and Roberto have privately agreed, we haven't heard only from Alba
Not true, Roberto and Alba already rejected, Roberto wants to be paid handsomely on longer years if he takes pay cut now. Alba has rejected payment reduction and Busquets will accept something way less than the club willing to offer.
Messi renewed with 50% wage-cut to help the club.
No, it is just not important actually.
-Messi isn't under contract, if he wants to stay here, he can take a pay cut, if he doesn't he won't stay.
-If he wants to leave, he can choose to leave on his own terms.
So absolutely no comparison between both cases.
That is why I rightfully ignored it.
Isn't any other more important benchmark?
And this is where you don't make sense:
You are counting on peer pressure as the biggest leverage of the club
Some players might do that, but they have family and agents who has zero incentive to do it. You think a player agent will happily accept a lower pay day for himself because his client decided to give a pay cut to a billion dollar organization? You think their wives/GF will happily convince them to stay here for lower money? Because Messi accepted to be the best paid player on the team? or because the guy whose GF is wealthier than any other footballer (except Messi and CR7) has accepted a pay cut?
And for 3rd time, all of those are players tied for long period to the club, they have ambitious about being Barca coach/president, what does Griezmann trading for now?
The only other players who accepted such pay cut, accepted a longer contracts on high wage later, just in case you think you can make another comparison.
As for the career, you are totally wrong on this.
2 years on the stands? When the WC is in 1.5 years from now?
No way he is going to take that route.
Actually no player who respects himself is taking that route to sit on a contract.
Only Bale, who is interested more in golf, and Umtiti, who is finished and knows he is finished.
Let's get our facts right:
A-No club that respect itself will bench a player like Griezmann for financial reasons.
B-Griezmann can sit next year and force the club to do what he wants next summer, it isn't like it hasn't been done before.
Stubbornness isn't a way to do business, you don't flush 30-45M per year in the toilet to feel powerful. Laporta is a politician and he knows that.
Unless an EPL comes with a lucrative offer for Griezmann, the club has no ground to punish him, and in fact he will have a stronger case in court against the club if we bench him.