Blunderous Barça leave Messi with a decision

Ivan Rakitić once claimed that when Lionel Messi steps up to take a free kick, his teammates are already thinking about the celebration.

As the Argentinian executed his latest effort last Thursday, however, it is unlikely Rakitic and co had rehearsed this particular routine. Their captain’s reaction deviated markedly from the usual post-goal formalities, with the customary smiles and hugs substituted for an emotionless expression and a disgusted throw of his right arm.

Tellingly, it was a video of this reaction, rather than the goal itself that started to do the rounds on social media. The four second clip of a disgruntled Messi provided a powerful insight into the reality at FC Barcelona, a club in a worrying decline, its deep structural chasms repeatedly papered over by the mercurial Argentinian, whose patience is wearing ever thinner.

2020 has given rise to a catalogue of fresh crises for the Blaugrana. In February, Messi openly clashed with sporting director Eric Abidal over comments in which he questioned the commitment of the players under previous manager Ernesto Valverde, while in April, six board members resigned amid allegations the club hired a company to create fake social media accounts in order to discredit its critics, including Messi himself.

Board mismanagement has extended beyond internal politics to football-related decisions at a club seemingly torn between restoring its ever-eroding identity and winning at all costs. The decision to sack Valverde was seen by some at the time to be ill-judged, doubts validated by the absence of clear strategy to replace him. A desperate grab for a replacement in the Cruyffian mould culminated in the appointment of the largely unproven Quique Setien, after those at the top of the shortlist steered well away. The appointment looks a bad one, with Setien himself confessing he was not sure if he would stay on as coach after the match against Osasuna. Despite Messi’s goal, Barca were defeated 1-2, the latest in a series of poor performances after the restart that confirmed their surrender of the title to eternal rivals Real Madrid.

Similarly ill-conceived is the club’s transfer market activity in recent years. In the last four windows, it is estimated the total cost of incoming signings is £821 million (Transfermarkt). The surprise is not in the amount, but in the players signed, with few, if any, boasting a credible claim to have justified their price tag. Although the jury’s out on players such as Frenkie De Jong and Ousmane Dembélé, while the £16 million Arturo Vidal has a right to feel a little aggrieved, all in all, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that their transfer dealings have been a total disaster.

Of the £821 million, the £360 million spent on the trio of Dembele, Phillipe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann reflects worst on the club. These three were integral to Barca’s quest for a fifth Champions League title, yet it is quite possible that not one will feature in next month’s round of 16 clash against Napoli. Although Dembele’s expected absence will be through injury, hardly the fault of the club, Barca are desperate to show record-signing Coutinho the exit, who has not played for the club in over a year, while Setien recently admitted that the £120 million Griezmann’s absences were due to the “destabilising” effect he had on the team.

Perhaps the most perplexing bit of transfer activity, and the most damning indictment of the directors’ incompetence, was the swap deal involving the Brazilian, Arthur, and Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanić. Arthur, signed from Gremio, was one of the few acquisitions in recent years that made strategic sense. Not only was he signed for the relatively modest sum of £28 million given his youth and high-potential sell-on value, he fits the Barcelona blueprint, drawing comparisons with club legend Xavi Hernandez, who has claimed he sees himself when he watches Arthur on television. In return, Barca receive Pjanić, and €10 million. He’s not a bad player by any stretch, but at 31 he is probably past the peak of his powers and joins an already ageing squad.

To understand why such a trade was authorised, even by a board as reckless as Barcelona’s, one must delve into the murky business of financial fair play and player valuations that mean more on paper than on the pitch. Faced with the need to raise €60 million, the club found itself with no choice but to show Arthur the door, a situation that epitomises the board’s impulsive, negligent management. The situation could unquestionably have been avoided with more responsible transfer market activity in previous years and is made even more infuriating from the fan’s perspective as neither they, the player, nor the coaching staff actually wanted him to leave.

The board’s inadequacies are no secret, and if anyone is entitled to express their dissatisfaction with the regime, it is their captain and greatest ever player. As journalist Ryan Baldi tweeted on the night of the defeat, “Messi is supposed to be the centrepiece you build around, not the pillar holding everything else up”. For too long, the board has failed to equip him with the tools necessary to achieve the expected level of success. As incompetence continues to chip away at that pillar, and with no league title to gloss over what will more than likely be another Champions League failure, his desire to seek a new challenge must be stronger than ever. As Messi continues to pull his weight on the pitch (this season, even at the age of 33, he became only the second player this century to register 20+ goals and assists in a league campaign), he is frequently let down off it. While the club continues to sink into a mire of crisis talks, a failing recruitment strategy, an ageing squad, and their famous youth system producing fewer and fewer first team regulars, Messi’s temptation to jump ship must be growing each day. It’s hard not to think he deserves better.