By Ade Ojeikere
SO much has been revealed about Lionel Messi’s prowess on-and-off the ball since his romance with the beautiful game began years ago. Indeed, his mercurial displays during matches have left the world gaping how such a lad defies his physical deficiencies to light up venues where he has been a beauty to watch. Messi has been a talking point in most records in the game. He is either breaking existing records or setting new ones, depending on the opposition. But it is his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo that has taken the statistics of the game to its zenith.
Messi is the current highest earner at the club, with the Argentine superstar pocketing around £500,000 per week (£26m per year). Next is Antoine Griezmann on £294,000 per week (£15.3m per year). Indeed, the world stood still following the trends of what would have been the biggest transfer in the summer, had Messi succeeded in changing clubs to Manchester City. Messi’s exit would have commenced the gradual movement of big stars to other leagues.
This star trek would have moulded the minds of players choosing any of the big clubs in Spain. Real Madrid and Barca have in the last decades produced some of the most exciting football players to watch. Both clubs go the extra mile to beef up their squads, most times anticipatory of the clashes between both sides each season. The world stands still whenever the teams are pitched against the other, irrespective of where the matches are played in Spain. But former FC Barcelona boss Quique Setien introduced a new twist in the tail of Messi’s enviable career by suggesting that the immensely talented player is a brat. Messi a brat, not an unapologetic match winner?
According to Mundo Deportivo, Messi questioned the tactics of Setien following disappointing results, urging the coach to have respect for the players who have won more than him. ‘’If you don’t like what I said, you know where the door is,’’ Setien responded, to which Messi reportedly laughed. Setien was sacked after their humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich last season.
In an interview with El Pais, Setien also said that managing the enormous talent of Messi was tricky – comparing his star power to that of Michael Jordan in the Netflix documentary, The Last Dance.
“I think Messi is the best of all time,” Setien said. “There have been other players who have been great but the continuity that this boy has had throughout the years has not been had by anyone. “Leo is difficult to manage. Who am I to change him? If they have accepted him as he is for years and has not changed him.’’
Really? Is this not another aspect of Messi’s career that has been hidden for so long? In the past, big players recruited into FC Barcelona have had tough times dealing with Messi’s stranglehold on the team’s tactics, which eventually affects their integration into the team. In no time, such celebrated recruits in other clubs end up being sold and tagged failures. The talk of Messi participating in FC Barcelona’s recruitment is cheap. It is global practice for clubs with stars of Messi’s stature. Such big players’ views are required since they serve as coaches for the teams on the field and know good players when they see one. It is no use splashing cash on players who would end up sitting on the bench. Messi’s pivotal role in
Barca’s matches makes him the biggest stakeholder in the squad. Take out Messi’s goals and see why his words should be the rule. Whenever Messi isn’t fit, Barca cannot play. Messi playing for Barca comes with a fear factor to the oppositions they face. Messi is the team’s poster boy. He deserves respect from the team’s coaches.
Messi simply continued the dynasty of exceptionally talented ex-Barcelona stars who created the platform which he enjoys today. FC Barcelona is a factory for producing great players from their nursery. FC Barcelona is an institution. Messi has an ally in the team’s new helmsman Koeman, a Barca legend who doesn’t have any problems with his captain, pointing out that: ‘’I respect all opinions. For me Leo is the best player in the world, I am seeing his ambition and winning character.
‘’I have no difficulties to lead [him]. He is the captain and I talk to him every week. I see things differently from Setien and I do not agree [with his opinion],’’ Koeman said ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev.
“His discontent with the club was clear, but in the end, it worked out, and from the moment he said [he will stay] he’s done everything expected of him,” Koeman told Dutch channel NOS recently.
Messi has done so much for Barca and vice versa. He needs to be encouraged to give his best always irrespective of the fact that his game has slowed down due to age. Anyone expecting a repeat of Messi’s brilliance in his heydays is asking for too much. If Messi feels strongly that he needs to exit from Barca at the expiration of his contract, it is wise for the team’s management to accord the legend the best ceremonial exit that would be envied by all teams.
Messi was a commercial success for Barcelona. His presence in the squad in the last decade has attracted several big stars, who ordinarily would have looked elsewhere had Messi not being in FC Barcelona. Is Messi truly the problem with FC Barcelona? Put differently, can FC Barcelona’s problems be entirely Messi’s fault?
‘’The club is the way it is right now,’’ Pique said in his post-match interview. ‘’There’s a process of change that was necessary. We have needed to turn things around.
‘’There was an obvious trend of things getting worse every year. We don’t have a lot of time, but we need things to improve. You can’t have a transitional year at Barcelona. There will be a new board and with that, there will be a lot of changes in the coming months.’’
Looking at the LaLiga table underscores the fact that part of the problems at FC Barcelona has been addressed with the club’s improved second position in the domestic league. the team is back on track in its group games for the UEFA Champions League.
Messi can function anywhere on the pitch. All that he desires playing for Barca is a squad of immensely talented players whose performance could take the pressure off him since he is the marked man during matches. Messi is a serial and has been left in what looks like a trance
whenever Barca loses a game, especially the scandalous score-lines.
“We have to be united and assume the best is yet to come,” Messi said hopefully. Well said
Messi, although many have argued that he has one year, one shot at the crown. Hmmm!
Interestingly, a few others have asked the question; could this be Messi’s Last Dance?
Leave a Reply