Barcelona’s Lionel Messi saga comes to an end

It appears that all the chips are wrong and it appears that all parties have played their hand. For the culés, the soccer impact has not settled completely. For years, the exploits of Lionel Messi have rescued a decaying Barça and allowed Bartomeu to do shady deals that make little sporting sense.

Without Leo, however, this cape will peel off. Barça can no longer rely on more than 50 goals and assists from a single source, and need to rebuild in a more collective effort. The offensive gap that Messi will leave cannot be underestimated. It is Barcelona’s attack, and without it the fluid attack will be difficult to replicate. Barça is in a unique position in world football. No other club relies so much on a single source for goal creation and therefore there really is no benchmark. This is truly uncharted territory. This does not mean that Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé and Ansu Fati do not take a turn. It is the magnitude of the change required that is concerning, in itself.

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It may seem surreal to say this, but the on-field impacts of this outing are pretty obvious. What is perhaps most underestimated is the commercial and political implication of Messi’s departure. The Messi brand raises millions for Barcelona, ​​and offsetting this will take years of rebranding and unrealized asset trading. This may mean pushing Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong and Marc-Andre ter Stegen to the fore, while also signing certain big-name players. It won’t be easy, yes. The Messi brand is one of the most lucrative in the world. It is a commercial enterprise, yes, but it is also a cult of personality, a moot point, an immediate identifier. Messi is a massive draw for casuals and those from non-footballer families, a way of attracting ambiguous viewers. A way to cement Barça as a global entity.

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Without their presence, how to bridge that gap is not clear. Will the club use a rebrand on multiple fronts? Will they try to promote the youth? Make it a more holistic endeavor. With Bartomeu at the helm? That is unlikely. However, whichever way they choose, they must act quickly. The Barcelona brand, without an adequate contingency plan, will rapidly decline. For Bartomeu and company, who often use their monetary exploits as a sign of progress, this would be disastrous.

Perhaps, the disaster would not be the worst, as it is.