Lionel Messi - v7

[Horatio]

Spotting Higuain, Lavezzi and Rojo shirts all the time. They were everywhere after the three took Argentina to the WC final.

Never saw them in Netherlands. Maybe if you'd enter an Argentinian Steak restaurant in Amsterdam. Even here in South America I barely saw them. Most Argentinian backpackers I meet have a Boca or River shirt. Probably saw national jersey around 2018 WC time, but honestly since then can't remember last time I saw one.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

And come winter time the people getting their long sleeve Romero kits out. With gloves and all.

 

[Andresito]

Heard 40 % of Barca shirts are sold with his name and number.

Don't remember the source, maybe I read it in here.

 

[JamDav1982]

Heard 40 % of Barca shirts are sold with his name and number.

Don't remember the source, maybe I read it in here.

The claim is 80% are which would not be surprising at all.

 

[Joan]

Anyone knows how many Real shirts used to be sold with Ronaldo's name and number?

 

[khaled_a_d]

Laporta claims they conducted some "study" that says he generates 1/3 of Barcas whole income.
I would generally say that sounds like BS.

IIRC Font or another candidate said the same thing few months ago, both Bartou and Tebas came and said the same thing too. Journalist like Marta Ramon for rac1 who is reliable to this stuff confirmed that this is also the club estimated value of Messi, same with sport.

As fans, we will never have the "data" to calculate it ourselves, but all the indication that the club felt it was a good deal.
There is even a report that the bonus was a sign-in gift from Bartou that he offered Messi, which is not good business fore sure, because he thought that he is worth that financially.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Khaled, what is the second highest wage at Barca?

We have no idea, again media proven to be unreliable regarding "reporting wage".
It is a private document and when it is leaked it is a big deal.
Messi contract as a whole is leaked now, and club admitted that, and it is way different than what we was reported for over 3 and half years.

Aren't our yearly wages something like:
Messi 130
Griezz 22-ish
Cou 20
Frenkie 18
Dembele 17

Again, we don't know that. And btw you are mixing net and gross salaries.
Which btw even journalist usually do.
Griezmann reported salary is actually 22M net and not gross. That is above 40M for the club.

Halaand would be let's say 160m fee + 20m yearly wages = 180m in the first season combined.

Again, we don't know that.

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And for the record, his wage will be much more likely way more than that.
His agents fees will be more than that.
His own sign-in bonus (which is standard in many contracts) will be more than that.

So, if we play the fan fiction of "let's calculate player X salary" based on information we keep knowing it isn't true, your numbers is laughable.
20M gross for Haland? are you kidding me? Alaba is asking for more. There is no way he will be asking for anything less than 20M net, that is around 40M.
I would expect at least 50M more in agent and sign-in fees. Potentially twice that number too.
So 120M for BVB, 40M salary, 50M and you have is around 330M for 4 years contract.


And again, it is one argument about if Messi deserved that money in 2017 and if he deserves to renew with same numbers in 2021.
With Covid, I think we will never even offer him same terms, probably huge pay cut will be offered

 

[Luftstalag14]

Honestly I have only gone to one home game travelling from the UK and even though it was the last season of Neymar, Suarez and Iniesta I still went to see Messi albeit while he was still in a good team. I just had a feeling time was running out for that. Glad I did, Messi scored two and one was a wonder solo dribble from the midfield.

Messi's contract was obviously extreme but with a world wide asset like him Barca could and should have still been massively successful both on and off the pitch.

We were pretty successful off the field too (finance-wise, if that's what you meant) in terms of revenues generated, our biggest problems off the field were (1) our expenses were way too much and poorly managed and (2) too many big-ticket transfer blunders that did not pan out well for us, which led to piling up debts.

If the new president and board can continue to exploits new markets and areas for our revenue growth and rein in expenses at the same time, we will be successful.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Heard 40 % of Barca shirts are sold with his name and number.

Don't remember the source, maybe I read it in here.

I remember reading something similar as well a few years ago, and other players contribute to about 10% or so of the jerseys sold, with almost half of all jerseys sold without being customized.

That is good because we know those core fans will still likely buy Barca jerseys even without Messi.

 

[Luftstalag14]

IIRC Font or another candidate said the same thing few months ago, both Bartou and Tebas came and said the same thing too. Journalist like Marta Ramon for rac1 who is reliable to this stuff confirmed that this is also the club estimated value of Messi, same with sport.

As fans, we will never have the "data" to calculate it ourselves, but all the indication that the club felt it was a good deal.
There is even a report that the bonus was a sign-in gift from Bartou that he offered Messi, which is not good business fore sure, because he thought that he is worth that financially.

If they are right (I still have my doubts) then we are truly fucked after Messi leaves us, we will be short at least 300m from our revenues and down to the range of 300m - 400m again.

I know you argued before that Real Madrid is a bigger brand than us and Ronaldo was not as much part of the club as Messi is to us, I still wonder how come Real Madrid literally saw no impact of him leaving them at all? Not only did they not have any reductions in revenue, they have been growing after he left. That difference between Messi and Ronaldo vis-a-vis us and Real Madrid is that startling that Real Madrid hardly took a dent revenue-wise after he left?

 

[Newcomer]

This is just shifting the boards failures to Messi. Thats why it was leaked in tge first place.

True.

However i get what Bar?aman is saying : people often associate Messi and Bar?a union as some kind of special love/relationship and that contract shows Messi is playing (like everyone else) for his money.

 

[Newcomer]

The fact that 8 out 10 shirts have Messi on back cant then assume that if he is not there that those folk dont buy a shirt with another name on back or still go for Messi 10 even if gone.

The headlines keep stating he makes the club hundreds of millions with no real back up to it.

No doubt he increases revenue but cant see how it is to extent as is made out.

Yeah, this is so stupid.

It is not like after Messi leaves, all Bar?a fans will stop being Bar?a fans and not buy shirts anymore. Also, you have already signed your monster contract with Nike and it is what brings in money not the direct shirt sales. Messi leaving might adversely affect the future negociation of this contract but you are good for a few years.

 

[MagIX]

For sure Messi generates/d for Barca extremly high figures. If the reported figures (1/3 whole income) are correct or not, no idea, but i would not be surprised if are correct.
If they have done everything to not let him go this summer, is for sure note because without him the team would be less competitive, business is business.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Yeah, this is so stupid.

It is not like after Messi leaves, all Bar?a fans will stop being Bar?a fans and not buy shirts anymore. Also, you have already signed your monster contract with Nike and it is what brings in money not the direct shirt sales. Messi leaving might adversely affect the future negociation of this contract but you are good for a few years.

What I don't get is the Nike's fixation with PSG with regard to the Jordan brand stuff, the only club they are doing it with. Are they doing that because of the Paris - fashion - chic association?

 

[khaled_a_d]

If they are right (I still have my doubts) then we are truly fucked after Messi leaves us, we will be short at least 300m from our revenues and down to the range of 300m - 400m again.

I know you argued before that Real Madrid is a bigger brand than us and Ronaldo was not as much part of the club as Messi is to us, I still wonder how come Real Madrid literally saw no impact of him leaving them at all? Not only did they not have any reductions in revenue, they have been growing after he left. That difference between Messi and Ronaldo vis-a-vis us and Real Madrid is that startling that Real Madrid hardly took a dent revenue-wise after he left?

Cristiano left at 33 as club legend and its greatest player ever (for most fans at least) and after 3 consecutive CL wins and 4 in 5 years. Unprecedent in CL era (under its current name)
With strong brand and history I think they were capable to survive it, players who won those trophies are still marketable.
If there was no covid, I think Messi leaving would hit us but not as badly, as at the age of 33/34 he had his career here and is a player leaving at end of his prime. You can still live on that if you have some poster boys to show.

This is why I always argued that if Messi leaves then Barca need a big name signing, no matter the financial condition.