You Know Nothing, Leo Messi
When we were watching one of the most surreal sporting dramas unfold in real time.
The end is the beginning. At least it was in the case of Jon Snow, who after being stabbed in the back by his very own sworn brothers, was magically resurrected by the Red Woman. Afterwards he relinquished his command and was on his way out of Castle Black, citing that he had been released by his Night’s Watch vows on account of dying. I remember it like it was yesterday; I was glued to the TV screen for every second.But these past ten days a real-life saga was taking place that surpassed the dizzying dramatic heights of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ series. The football world had been collectively stunned ever since Lionel Messi sent his burofax to the FC Barcelona board. Will he, won’t he, can he? Will they, won’t they, can they? Where will he go? Back to Pep in Manchester? Back with Neymar in Paris? Following the whole thing was tedious as the turn of events quickly spiraled into a messy state of affairs. New plot twists every other day, wild speculations as to what would happen next, and an end (which you know is imminent) not in sight.
Then today, with a strange mix of relief, exasperation, and frustration I read the news of Messi finally announcing his decision to stay on for the upcoming season at Barcelona, the only club he has ever played for professionally. The six time Ballon d’Or winner declared that he will in fact remain at the club in the city he has called home since he was thirteen years old.
The news, just as the burofax, came as an expected shock to me. An expected shock in the sense that I expected to be shocked no matter what the outcome of the whole transfer drama was going to be. This self-aware expectation dulled the shock considerably and instead I felt more or less resigned about the anti-climatic nature of it all. Watching Messi’s 18 minute long interview where he presented his side of things, he looked more or less resigned as well. He seemed visibly hurt and distraught with everything. And that hurt to see.
I knew of Messi before I even knew of football. I saw him play and I was mesmerized. I haven’t yet and don’t plan to attempt to put into words the way he goes about his business on the field. Pep Guardiola, former Barcelona manager, once said, “Don’t try to explain him, don’t try to write about him; just watch him.” I intend to follow the Spanish maestro’s advice.
However, how I feel when I watch Messi play is pretty simple to explain: sheer, unbridled joy. Watching him reveal the reasons behind wanting to leave his beloved club and then wanting to continue with the same club does not give me any joy. He chose to stay because “the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700 million ($823m) clause, and that this is impossible.” He chose to stay because the only other option was to make this a legal matter and take the club to court and “I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived.” He chose to stay because he believed it was the only option. It all felt so wrong.
The way Barcelona’s board has handled this situation is indelicate at best and downright destructive at worst. First their incredulous incompetence, by even allowing circumstances to get to this point. Then their rapacious disposition, along with the Spanish league’s, by enforcing the €700 million buyout as the sole exit hatch for Messi. The greed isn’t as off-putting as the childlike stubbornness though, refusing to let him leave because the free-transfer clause ended in June. A clause that was meant to expire at the end of the season, which in this year’s COVID edition went on till August.
The motto at Barcelona is proudly imprinted onto the seats of the Camp Nou, their stadium, ‘Mes Que Un Club.’ It means ‘more than a club,’ as an ode to the club’s Catalan roots. It rings rather hollow today, because the way in which the club has dealt with arguably the greatest player of all time should be enough to slightly alter that motto to ‘no more than a club.’ Because if Barcelona is more than a club, then so is Messi. Former Barca defender Javier Mascherano said back in 2017, "The club is bigger than any manager, than any player... except Leo. That's the reality, and you have to accept it."
Watching this stalemate between player and club unravel has been surreal. I was always preparing myself for the eventuality of football without Messi, of Barcelona without its talisman. I have watched cricket post-Sachin. But to see it unfold in this manner was to witness a handshake or a mask-free hug between two people. It doesn’t feel right anymore.
Out of all the striking things Messi said in the interview, this one struck me the most: “I wanted to go because I thought about living my last years of football happily. Lately I have not found happiness within the club.” I don’t know how I can watch him play in a Barcelona jersey after that. I don’t understand how a player of his stature, greatness, and competitive spirit can be virtually kept hostage in a place he doesn’t wish to be in anymore.
The Argentinian superstar will soon be back with the rest of the Barcelona squad in training. What the next season will bring is impossible to predict, will Messi leave for free anyway next June or will some meaningful team success dissuade him from doing so? Regardless, one can be assured of even more drama on the level of ‘Game of Thrones.’
It wasn’t until the resurrected Jon Snow was reunited with half-sister Sansa Stark, who sought Jon’s help at a time of desperation, that he agreed to lead the fight from the North. He had fought already and died already for the cause. Messi, like Jon Snow 2.0, chose to stay out of duty, not out of passion. The Messi after 2020 will not be the same, not remotely, but his story is not yet over. This is neither the end, nor entirely a beginning. I still remain glued to the screen.