FC Barcelona’s woeful 2-1 loss to Cadiz on Saturday was yet another chink in their long chain of disappointments this season.
Notably absent from the score sheet in the loss was star forward Lionel Messi, whose open war with the club came to a head this summer as he publicly requested a transfer away from the only club he has ever known.
Despite Messi’s request, the legendary player was unable to secure a move away from FC Barcelona, after former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu refused to let him leave.
However, this has kept Messi disgruntled and unhappy, making Barcelona’s supposed “rebuilding” stage without much clear direction. In order to keep the peace and maintain a positive atmosphere, the front office has some serious questions to consider.
Should they try and convince him to stay longer at Barça, or should they look to move on and find other options?
If the club is serious about being financially healthy and not overdependent on one player going forward, it may be good to move on from Messi next summer as his contract expires.
Financially, it would probably have made even more sense to let Messi go last summer while the club still could have made money on a transfer fee. But that ship has sailed.
Things haven’t been working with Messi, from Champions League humiliation to bad transfer deals. FC Barcelona has been reduced to a shell of its former self, and therefore it may be time to think of other options.
Instead of continuing to try to tailor the squad to fit Messi’s needs, the club would be better served to let the 33-year-old legend walk. This will enable them to keep an eye on the future, instead of continuing to cater to the aging star.
It’s a hard reality for the club and its fans to accept, but when a marriage isn’t happy and the club isn’t succeeding, there is no point in trying to force a fit.
Next summer would be the perfect time for FC Barcelona to push the reset button and begin its post-Messi era.
