FC Barcelona - An institutional disintegration of Catalonia's pride.
[THREAD]
[THREAD]
On the 14th of July 2013, Barcelona sold Thiago to Bayern. The Spaniard's release clause had dropped to €18 million, from a previous high of €90 million, due to a lack of playing time in 2012/13.
The late Tito Vilanova had not been a fan of heavy rotation, and had persisted with Xavi, even after the "stakes" of the season had disappeared.
This was where the Barça board smelled the money trail. Then president Rosell believed that Thiago was replaceable, and made no attempts to placate him when rumours of a move to Bavaria emerged.
Eventually, Thiago left for Bayern for a paltry €25 million. The sporting impact of that departure may be debatable, perhaps, but it's symbolic value to the institution that is Fútbol Club Barcelona cannot be overstated.
The Thiago fiasco, alongside the plainly criminal Neymar deal, plunged the Catalonian club into an era of unbridled short term hedonism.
The damage started with Rosell. He was the man behind the "Qatar Foundation" sponsorship, which eventually moved the club away from its long-avowed anti-sponsor policy.
The money laundering involved in bringing Neymar to the Camp Nou was a mere continuation of a degrading moral standard.
Yes, the world of business is cutthroat, but Barça had long been the virtue signalling club, the one that promoted a culture beyond football. The club that stood for Catalonia.
Rosell's tenure ensured that posturing came to an end. "mes que un club" was reduced to a marketing tag, a perfect summation of the commoditization of a football club.
With the unearthing of the illegalities around the Neymar deal and the eventual resignation of Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu came to the forefront.
Bartomeu was very much from the Rosell school. Infact, once his predecessor had set the precedent, the former Perico could suddenly get away with a lot more.
Soon, mega-merchandise deals, shady transfers and short-term gain became the norm at the Camp Nou. While Barto's vision of commercial success continued to materialise, Barça's on-field performance began to suffer.
Lucho's plucky side may have bucked the trend, but the decline was more long-winded.
Bartomeu's regime has maintained a handle on all financial matters. Everywhere else? Gross incompetence has taken root.
Bartomeu's regime has maintained a handle on all financial matters. Everywhere else? Gross incompetence has taken root.
The board has, for the longest time, looked to hire low profile pacifists as managers, to keep the veterans happy, and prolong the existence of the status quo.
A healthy stream of long-term contracts are doled out at the Camp Nou, thereby, and indecision seems to be held in high stead. Recently, a 31-year-old Jordi Alba signed a contract that keeps him at the club until 2024, when he will be 35.
Bartomeu's appeasement isn't so simple, however. To keep a grip on things, the President has also pursued long term smear campaigns against his own players and staff, with the recent I3 Ventures scandal being a case in point.
Moreover, outlets like Mundo Deportivo function as mouthpieces for the board, and often run baseless stories, in search of confusion and controversy.
The recent capitulations in the Champions League and the rumoured exit of Lionel Messi are not what plagues the club. They are merely symptoms of a sickness that has festered for years. Bartomeu and Co have sought to give up the soul of Barcelona, in search of capital gains.
It's taken a decade, but it's finally transpired. As it stands, Barca are an example of how not to run a club. Because of their financial might, they'll always remain competitive; if they want to be serious club, however, wholesale changes are needed. That starts at the top.
Picture Credits: Getty.
