The modern day impression FC Barcelona give off is one befitting of the greatest team in the world. With the best youth system on the planet and the most unique philosophy which dates back years and engulfs every aspect of one of soccer’s biggest institutions, the Catalan giants had all the credentials to dominate Europe. It is no surprise, therefore, with the 21st century still in its infancy, they have fulfilled their potential.
That philosophy, which has been well documented, is mainly down to the impact Dutch legend Johan Cruyff had on the club, first as a player in the 1970s and then coach around 20 years later. He is the reason the Blaugrana have become a member of the elite, but their latest and most durable reign at the top of the game made them a success off the pitch. Joan Laporta, a Cruyff fanatic who became president of Barça in 2003, made all this possible.
It was he who put faith in La Masia, the academy, and it was he that demanded the club win by playing a style of soccer which religiously followed his hero’s ideology. His time at the helm lasted seven years and yielded four LaLiga titles, two Champions League’s and included the hiring of Barcelona’s greatest ever coach, a La Masia graduate and Cruyff disciple, Pep Guardiola.
But the understated legacy of Laporta’s spell was how he cleaned up the act behind the scenes. It cannot be forgotten that, despite some good spells domestically before the turn of the century, overall it was Real Madrid who dominated. There is no love lost between the two clubs, and regions in Spain, but Barcelona struggled to escape Los Blancos’ imposing shadow for long periods.
Proof of that came in 2000, when current Real president Florentino Perez, then starting out on his first term, signed Luis Figo from Barça in a then world-record $47million transfer in arguably the most shocking deal of all time. Not only was it a big statement for Madrid of their on-pitch ambition, but it showed the power they had off it. Figo was not only the star of the Camp Nou, but the darling of the fans too. They related to him, felt he was one of their own despite coming from outside. In the end, though, none of that mattered.
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That inability to hold onto a prized asset was not an isolated incident. Just three years prior, after Brazilian striker Ronaldo had scored 34 goals in his sole season at the club under Bobby Robson, Italian side Inter stole in to snatch his signature. The player initially shunned advances from the San Siro, offering Barcelona the chance to give him the contract he felt he deserved. It wasn’t forthcoming and Ronaldo packed his bags and fled to Serie A. Five years later, Perez struck again and another former Barça idol was running out at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Not only has Laporta overseen a new level of player being promoted from within, with the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and, of course, Lionel Messi, coming through to lead the club’s surge, but he put a stop to the club losing those players and any others they did not wish to.
Never have there been serious possibilities that any of them will leave, certainly not in their prime. When Laporta departed, he was replaced by Sandro Rosell, but their control of contractual situations didn’t waver. Under current president Josep Maria Bartomeu, though, things are beginning to go backwards.
Various poor decisions from the boardroom mean there may be a lack of confidence flowing down the club, into the stands and, crucially, the dressing room. Of all the players, it has always been most important to keep hold of Lionel Messi. Since arriving as a 13-year-old in 2000, the same year as Figo’s departure, he has grown into a talisman. The love has always been mutual, with Messi always claiming he would stay for as long as he is wanted. The trouble is, Barcelona have not done a very good job of making him feel like the centrepiece of their star-studded squad.
It is no secret that Perez and Real Madrid have attempted to repeat the Figo trick with Messi on more than one occasion. But a swift contract renewal with a healthy pay-rise always ensured its impossibility. And yet, their current stance is reminiscent of the Ronaldo situation, with a member of the board having to be sacked for diminishing Messi’s ability a matter of weeks ago. The longer these circumstances aren’t cleared up, the more nervous fans will be that maybe, just maybe, the perfect footballing love story will head for divorce.
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The idea that someone who many would call the greatest soccer player of all time is still without a contract extension with around 18 months to go on his existing deal speaks volumes. Not that he, Messi, now aged 29, is in decline, but more that Barcelona just don’t have the capabilities and understanding to ensure there is no doubt he will re-sign for the club.
While the likes of Busquets have been given new contracts, it took a long time for Neymar, one of Messi’s partners in crime, to pen a new deal until 2021. Doubt began to creep in, enough for Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain to test Barça’s resolve. Both Messi and Neymar have had off-field problems with court cases, so there is a need for both to feel publicly supported by the club.
Throughout all this, the end result is unlikely to change. Reports suggest that a deal is on the way, but with the money being offered for players to move to the Chinese Super League, no one can afford to be as complacent as Barcelona have been with contracts recently.
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In the long-run, the Blaugrana need a contingency plan on and off the pitch. Lionel Messi should sign a new contract at the Camp Nou, but the conveyor belt from La Masia is slowing down. It is imperative the club do not go back in time and look after their future stars as well as they have done in recent years.