Why would anyone be a fan of a player instead of being a fan of a club? That I do not understand.. it is more sustainable to support a system or a philosophy, to support a heritage and a vision, to support generations upon generations of players and coaches
Because we live in a society full of simps and impressionable young people, that deride their worth from celebrity culture.
Yesterday r/soccer was discussing the Super League, criticizing the "wage cap" - because "it puts the money in the pocket of executives and not the players". Meaning those idiots would prefer the club going bankrupt in order to pay overinflated wages to their imaginary girlfriends (favorite players). I'm all for good wages - but at some point you cannot take the side of the greedy over the interests of the club you've supported all your life. For years Barcelona suffered because of the crazy wages some of the players got - more than they would have gotten at any team. Did we get a CL in return? No - and even worse: when the club has financial issues like today, the players have nothing to do with it, don't feel a tinge of responsibility or even interest to help in some way.
I love Messi as a player. But let's get things straight: if he would have arrived in Spain to play at Espanyol and not Barca, he would have left that team ages ago. It's easy to stay at the same team for 20 years when the club gives out some of the biggest paychecks in world football. This is not about his value as a player (we all know he's the GOAT) but money, pure and simple. The club can't afford some of its players - now what should the club do? Sell its assets, give 100 million footballers away for nothing, screw our future as a club - just for signing the guy who commends the biggest wage in football?
And yeah, I know, it's not Messi's fault - the ex-president gave him that enormous paycheck, the fans gladly accepted it because it wasn't their money and everyone went their merry way - as in being humiliated once again in CL football. There is something wrong with the culture of FC Barcelona when everyone gets at the wheel of a car that's tumbling down in a ravine - not to slam the brakes but the acceleration.