bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Jul 15, 2021 14:37:37 GMT
Lionel Messi has agreed to stay at Barcelona on a deal until 2026 that includes reducing his wages to half of his previous salary.
The announcement is dependent on player departures that will allow Barca to fund the Argentina captain's wages.
Messi, 34, was a free agent after his contract - that reportedly paid him £123m a season - expired on 30 June.
He is on holiday after winning the Copa America and the finer details of the contract are yet to be finalised.
There will be a break clause in the contract, allowing Messi to leave the club after two years.
The announcement could yet be a fortnight away for a combination of reasons, including La Liga insisting the club offload some wages before new players are registered and the player himself being on holiday.
Re-signing Messi was the principal summer target of new chairman Joan Laporta.
Barca are also looking at a swap deal involving forward Antoine Griezmann and Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, with the idea of reducing the wage bill.
After the Copa America, Messi feels very strong and has started imagining staying at the club even longer than previously thought - hence him accepting a five-year deal.
After two he can break the deal, but if he feels as motivated and fit as now the move to, the MLS can wait
The agreement will not be announced immediately and may still be a couple of weeks away, as lawyers have to go through it, and La Liga has said the club must release wages before he and the new players can be registered
Fringe players such as Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carles Alena have already been sold to free up budget but other big-name departures will also need to take place.
Messi had been linked with moves to Paris St-Germain and Manchester City, where he would be reunited with his former boss at Barcelona Pep Guardiola, as well as America's Major League Soccer, which he has previously considered experiencing.
Messi is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and has won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Reys as well as claiming the Ballon d'Or on a record six occasions.
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Aug 5, 2021 18:12:20 GMT
Update Today's Breaking News From The BBC:
Barcelona say Lionel Messi will not be staying at the club "because of financial and structural obstacles".
Messi, 34, has been a free agent since 1 July when his contract expired.
He agreed a new deal on reduced wages with club two weeks later, but it was dependent on Barca selling players to afford his salary.
"Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled," the club said.
Rovers Get Your Bid In Now.....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2021 23:17:43 GMT
Swiss would enjoy the accounts once Lionel's £26,000,000 'reduced' salary had been tagged on!
Apparently the contract that's just expired was worth £1m a week.
But he'll still be at Barca next season, it's all just negotiation.
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Post by alftupper on Aug 6, 2021 6:14:15 GMT
Swiss would enjoy the accounts once Lionel's £26,000,000 'reduced' salary had been tagged on! Apparently the contract that's just expired was worth £1m a week. But he'll still be at Barca next season, it's all just negotiation. Agreed. "The financial and structural obstacles", will be sorted out. And their debts will keep on rising. Need Mr Bezos to step in, pay off the debt, and rename them Amazalona.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2021 9:50:33 GMT
Of course, nothing is stopping Citeh from giving him his £1,000,000 a week, and from paying £100,000,000 for Grealish and now they are going after Kane as well.
Wonder what day Brentford play them in a fair competition governed by the Financial Fair Play structure?
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Post by alftupper on Aug 6, 2021 11:34:34 GMT
Of course, nothing is stopping Citeh from giving him his £1,000,000 a week, and from paying £100,000,000 for Grealish and now they are going after Kane as well. Wonder what day Brentford play them in a fair competition governed by the Financial Fair Play structure? The day Horfield are awarded the Olympics. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2021 11:46:14 GMT
Of course, nothing is stopping Citeh from giving him his £1,000,000 a week, and from paying £100,000,000 for Grealish and now they are going after Kane as well. Wonder what day Brentford play them in a fair competition governed by the Financial Fair Play structure? The day Horfield are awarded the Olympics. I don't see the problem with Messi being on a million quid a week, it's only £99.20 a minute, every single minute of every day, or £1.65 a second. But I have a cunning plan, maybe Wael can talk him in to playing on an internship, to try to head his career in the right direction? |
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 6, 2021 13:16:17 GMT
Don't you think that after all these years, and having hundreds of millions in the bank (apparently his last four year contract was worth 425 million Euro), that Messi would go down as a sporting icon and raise his profile to astronomical heights if he offered to play for Barcelona for free? He's 34 now, and he hasn't really been performing for the last couple of years. He is on the wane. He would still earn millions from sponsorship deals etc.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2021 13:57:12 GMT
Don't you think that after all these years, and having hundreds of millions in the bank (apparently his last four year contract was worth 425 million Euro), that Messi would go down as a sporting icon and raise his profile to astronomical heights if he offered to play for Barcelona for free? He's 34 now, and he hasn't really been performing for the last couple of years. He is on the wane. He would still earn millions from sponsorship deals etc. He could offer to play for a normal fee, maybe £50k a week, all to be given to good causes, then he would become a global icon. But nope, just keep piling up more cash than you can possibly ever spend. As you say, with his earning away from the pitch there will be money flooding in anyway. |
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Aug 6, 2021 21:20:35 GMT
Latest
Barcelona trying to keep Lionel Messi could have put the club at risk for 50 years, says president Joan Laporta.
Messi, 34, is leaving because they could not afford to give him a new contract under La Liga's salary limit.
A private equity firm wanted to invest in La Liga, which could have made signing Messi possible, but would have meant Barca giving up some TV rights.
"I can't make a decision that will affect the club for 50 years," Laporta said.
"The club is over 100 years old and it's above everyone and everything, even above the best player of the world. We will always thank him for everything he's done for us.
"In order to have fair play, we need to do this or make an effort which would put the club at risk. We couldn't keep going with this and we needed to make a decision, which we have."
Messi, Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer, had agreed a new five-year contract on reduced wages - but the club still had to slash their wage bill to afford him, and were unable to do so.
"Leo wanted to stay, so he's not happy," Laporta said. "We all wanted him to stay. For him, he has to confront reality. It's a reality that can't be changed and he knows I wish him the best wherever he goes."
Laporta added that he did not want to give "false hope" on "hypothetical" ideas that would see keeping Messi possible. "This negotiation has ended," he said.
Paris St-Germain have begun to explore the feasibility of signing Messi.
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Post by alftupper on Aug 7, 2021 7:02:08 GMT
Don't you think that after all these years, and having hundreds of millions in the bank (apparently his last four year contract was worth 425 million Euro), that Messi would go down as a sporting icon and raise his profile to astronomical heights if he offered to play for Barcelona for free? He's 34 now, and he hasn't really been performing for the last couple of years. He is on the wane. He would still earn millions from sponsorship deals etc. To be fair, the 425 million doesn`t take into account the tax he`s had to pay. The true figure is probably nearer £424,750,000. Unless he wants a new challenge, you`d think he`d agree a drastic pay cut and stay. I guess, one way to look at it would be, if he stayed for two more years and played for nothing, he`d be missing out on the best part of 200 million. Hard to turn down that sort of money, no matter how much you already have. Wouldn`t know for certain though. Can`t begin to envisage what it would be like to have that kind of dosh.
Edit.. I would like to be able to buy Bristol City, and a couple of thousand tons of ammonium nitrate.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2021 9:34:19 GMT
Don't you think that after all these years, and having hundreds of millions in the bank (apparently his last four year contract was worth 425 million Euro), that Messi would go down as a sporting icon and raise his profile to astronomical heights if he offered to play for Barcelona for free? He's 34 now, and he hasn't really been performing for the last couple of years. He is on the wane. He would still earn millions from sponsorship deals etc. To be fair, the 425 million doesn`t take into account the tax he`s had to pay. The true figure is probably nearer £424,750,000. Unless he wants a new challenge, you`d think he`d agree a drastic pay cut and stay. I guess, one way to look at it would be, if he stayed for two more years and played for nothing, he`d be missing out on the best part of 200 million. Hard to turn down that sort of money, no matter how much you already have. Wouldn`t know for certain though. Can`t begin to envisage what it would be like to have that kind of dosh.
Edit.. I would like to be able to buy Bristol City, and a couple of thousand tons of ammonium nitrate.
Just change the signs outside of the DSS Arena to 'Twerton Park, Home of Bristol Rovers'. Our sink estate residing 6 toed banjo playing cousins will soon lay it to waste. |
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Post by alftupper on Aug 7, 2021 18:34:38 GMT
To be fair, the 425 million doesn`t take into account the tax he`s had to pay. The true figure is probably nearer £424,750,000. Unless he wants a new challenge, you`d think he`d agree a drastic pay cut and stay. I guess, one way to look at it would be, if he stayed for two more years and played for nothing, he`d be missing out on the best part of 200 million. Hard to turn down that sort of money, no matter how much you already have. Wouldn`t know for certain though. Can`t begin to envisage what it would be like to have that kind of dosh.
Edit.. I would like to be able to buy Bristol City, and a couple of thousand tons of ammonium nitrate.
Just change the signs outside of the DSS Arena to 'Twerton Park, Home of Bristol Rovers'. Our sink estate residing 6 toed banjo playing cousins will soon lay it to waste. Good point. Well made. I`d happily pay for the petrol myself. Even at £1.35 a litre. |
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Aug 8, 2021 17:35:22 GMT
An emotional Lionel Messi said joining Paris St-Germain was "a possibility, but nothing is agreed" as he confirmed his exit from Barcelona.
Messi is ending his 21-year association with Barca, who cannot afford to honour the new contract they agreed with him because of La Liga's salary limit.
"My family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home," he said during a news conference on Sunday.
"This is the end with this club and now a new story will begin," added the Argentina forward. "Yes, it's one of the most difficult moments for me.
"I don't want to leave this club - it's a club I love and this is a moment I didn't expect.
"Last year I wanted to leave, this year I wanted to stay. That's why I'm so sad.
"It was like my blood ran cold. I was really sad. It was really difficult right up to now. I'm still trying to process it all.
"When I get home I will still feel bad; it will be even worse. I'm not ready for this."
Messi left Argentina for Spain when he was 13 and made his first-team debut for Barcelona aged 17 in October 2004.
He went on to score 672 goals in 778 games and helped the Spanish giants win 34 trophies.
"I'm so grateful for the love that everyone's shown me, for all my team-mates, and the club being by my side," he said. "Today I have to say goodbye to all this.
"I arrived when I was very young, 13 years old, and after 21 years I am leaving with my wife and three Catalan-Argentine children.
"I cannot be more proud of everything I did and lived in this city. I have no doubt that, after a few years away, we will return because it is our home."
Messi added: "I'm leaving the club without seeing the fans for over a year and a half [due to the pandemic]. If I imagined it, I would imagine the Camp Nou full, and to say goodbye properly. But it has to be this way."
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 9, 2021 10:20:32 GMT
Both Messi and Barcelona have not come out of this smelling of Roses. Last year Messi wanted to leave, and Barcelona should have got rid of him. They could probably have got a fee of 100m, plus the 100m+ saved on the last year's salary. Huge mistake by Barcelona. They really are a club on their way down. I have zero sympathy for Messi with his hundreds of millions sat in his bank account. He has literally priced himself out of the market.
I went to the Camp Nou about 18 months ago, just as Covid had started to rear it's ugly head, and the stadium is a cess pit! It really is awful. Huge amounts of money are needed to refurbish this stadium.
Now we will see PSG take the piss out of the FFP rules once again, and EUFA will just allow it. Meanwhile, small clubs like Rovers will be hammered for the slightest discrepancy regarding FFP.
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Aug 9, 2021 11:35:04 GMT
What a terrible few days for Barcelona.
After losing Lionel Messi, Barca are now reeling from the news Sergio Aguero will be missing for 10 weeks.
It comes just six days before they launch their La Liga campaign at home to Real Sociedad.
Former Manchester City forward Aguero is receiving treatment for a calf injury.
"Tests carried out on first team player Kun Aguero have confirmed a right calf injury. He will be out around ten weeks," Barcelona tweeted on Monday.
Aguero, 33, moved to the Nou Camp at the start of the summer when his contract at City expired.
He spent 10 seasons in Manchester, winning five Premier League titles.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 9, 2021 11:40:58 GMT
What a terrible few days for Barcelona. After losing Lionel Messi, Barca are now reeling from the news Sergio Aguero will be missing for 10 weeks. It comes just six days before they launch their La Liga campaign at home to Real Sociedad. Former Manchester City forward Aguero is receiving treatment for a calf injury. "Tests carried out on first team player Kun Aguero have confirmed a right calf injury. He will be out around ten weeks," Barcelona tweeted on Monday. Aguero, 33, moved to the Nou Camp at the start of the summer when his contract at City expired. He spent 10 seasons in Manchester, winning five Premier League titles. Aguero injured. No surprise there then. |
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Post by alftupper on Aug 9, 2021 11:41:53 GMT
What a terrible few days for Barcelona. After losing Lionel Messi, Barca are now reeling from the news Sergio Aguero will be missing for 10 weeks. Not surprising news. Was amazed that Barcelona were prepared to offer him a contract, given his injury record over the last couple of seasons. Unless it was pay per play.
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Aug 10, 2021 11:38:46 GMT
Lionel Messi has agreed a two-year deal to join Paris St-Germain following his shock exit from Barcelona, says BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague.
The deal, which has the option of a third year, is subject to a medical.
The 34-year-old Argentina captain left Barca - the only club he has ever played for - as they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga's financial fair play rules.
Mauricio Pochettino's PSG finished second to Lille in Ligue 1 last season.
"It's all been confirmed. Lionel Messi is going to be a PSG player," Balague said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "That's it, it's done. It's happened in the last few minutes.
"At the moment there are as much police as there are fans [at the stadium]. That's going to change soon. There's eight cameras here, again that's going to change. It seems like it is a two-year deal, plus one.
"His idea was to do it at Barcelona but it's going to be PSG. Then if he feels OK he will stay one more year maybe. But in any case his aim is to be at PSG and then to do well in the Qatar World Cup."
The signing of Messi - who would be reunited with former Barca team-mate Neymar at the Parc des Princes - is one of the most noteworthy captures in football's history.
He will play in a front three alongside the two most expensive players of all time - Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Messi had agreed a new deal - on 50% of his old wages - to stay at Barcelona but the club could not afford to implement it because they were so far above the wage limit allowed by La Liga.
"He used to earn 140m euros gross a year at Barca, that's around £125m," said Balague. "Take off about 40-50% for tax.
"He agreed to stay at Barcelona by reducing his wages by 50%, not more than that because that's illegal to do so [under Spanish law]. Basically the league wouldn't believe he was reducing his wages to zero, which is what Barcelona may have tried to do as they are 1bn euros in debt. Basically they cannot afford him."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2021 12:09:49 GMT
Qatar Sports Investments, not satisfied with Neymar and Mbappe now they have Messi as well.
I'm all for free markets and private wealth, but there's something about this I don't quite like, it's just a tad manipulative,
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