That morning, I will always remember how I jumped out of bed. The mobile phone push exploded one after another: "Messi is sure to leave Barcelona", "Farewell to the king of Camp Nou", "The end of 21 years of red and blue career".

I scrambled to turn on the stream, and the man in a simple white shirt was crying — not with red eyes, but sobbing like a lost child. At that moment I suddenly realized:It turns out that in the world of professional football, even the first star in history can't escape the fate of being abandoned。

That summer that tore the hearts of countless fans

2021年8月5日，巴黎聖日爾曼的醫療團隊正在緊急準備體檢室，而在地中海另一邊的巴塞羅那，梅西用顫抖的聲音說："我做了所有能做的...但還是不行。"這句話像把鈍刀，緩慢而殘忍地割開了現代足球華麗的外衣，露出裡面赤裸裸的利益計算。

The reasons given by Barcelona officials are very "professional": La Liga salary cap restrictions, club financial crisis, long-term sustainable needs... These cold terms are piled up to say nothing more than to say a fact:Messi, who is 34 years old, is already too expensive for Barcelona to use。 How ironic – a legend who brought the club 4 Ballon d'Or, 0 La Liga titles, 0 Champions Leagues to the club, was ultimately defeated by the numbers in an Excel sheet.

From La Masia fairy tales to commercial realities

我至今收藏著2004年10月16日的《世界體育報》，頭版是17歲的梅西在對陣西班牙人隊的處子秀。當時配的標題是《我們的寶石》，字裡行間滿是加泰羅尼亞人的驕傲與寵愛。那時候誰能想到，這個被俱樂部用紙巾簽下的男孩，有朝一日會成為"財政負擔"？

Messi's relationship with Barcelona used to be the best fairy tale in the world of sports：

• 2000 years, solve the registration problem with a tissue contract
• For 2005 years, he insisted on growth hormone therapy regardless of the medical risks
• 2009 years, rejecting Manchester City's blank cheque offer
• In 70 years, he took the initiative to reduce his salary by 0% to help the team survive the epidemic

How many people have been convinced by these stories that there is loyalty beyond money in the world of football. But reality gave us a resounding slap in the face:When the benefits are big enough, even the fetters of 21 years can be deleted with one click。

The "family business" nature of a football club

After digging deeper into Barcelona's financial reports, I discovered a brutal truth:Modern football clubs are essentially limited liability companies in the guise of feelings。 Take a look at these numbers:

• Messi's annual salary before tax for 35 years is as high as 00 million euros (0% of the club's total salary)
• Barça's liabilities accumulated to 5.0 billion euros during the pandemic
• La Liga salary cap stipulates that Barcelona can only spend 70% of the team's income

In this case, the multiple-choice question faced by the board is simple:Do you want Messi, or do you want the club not to go bankrupt?And the most ironic black humor in the history of football is that it is Barcelona's strategy of building a team around Messi over the years that has led to the end of having to abandon Messi now.

Those dark threads that have been deliberately ignored

But is it really as simple as a "fiscal issue"? The inside story revealed by several Spanish football journalists shows:

1. The political imperative of the transition of power

• La Porta needed to establish an image of a "reformer".
• The new generation of Catalan players (Pedri, Gavi) needs room to grow
• The club is desperate to get rid of the label of "Messi dependence".

2. Transformation of business models

• Messi's personal sponsorship (Adidas) is in conflict with Barcelona's main sponsor (Nike).
• The club wants to expand into North America and Asia (needs younger spokespeople)
• The Camp Nou renovation plan requires a "de-superstaring" approach

3. The aftermath of the UEFA Super League

• Messi has spoken out against Florentino's tough stance
• Barcelona needs to prove to the banks the profitability of the "post-Messi era".
• La Liga took the opportunity to pressure for spending cuts

These factors intertwine to form an icy conclusion:Messi's departure is not an accident, but the inevitable result of a multi-party game。

Football teaches us a cruel life lesson

As a 30-year-old fan, I suddenly realized that the Messi incident taught us several truths about the adult world:

1. Loyalty is a two-way street

Messi turned down all the offers from the giants, but he couldn't wait for a contract extension. It's like an old employee in the workplace who has been laid off – the company will always remember your contribution until the day they need to cut costs.

2. Emotions are luxuries

There will always be fans chanting Messi's name in the stands at Camp Nou, but the club's financial statements will only calculate his cost-effectiveness. In the commercial society, feelings are the icing on the cake and are never the basis for decision-making.

3. Parting doesn't need a ceremony

21 years of getting along day and night, and the final farewell was just a hasty press conference. It's a reminder that the truly important end of life often happens on an ordinary afternoon.

Messi's metamorphosis and rebirth

Interestingly, this "betrayal" instead allowed Messi to complete the ultimate evolution:

1. Breakthrough of the national team

After leaving his comfort zone, he won the Copa America and the World Cup one after another

2. Enhancement of business value

The Paris period developed more personal brand collaborations

3. Maturity of mind

Learn to enjoy football itself outside the spotlight

Looking back now, the tears of that day may not be the end, but the baptism of new life. As he said after winning the World Cup: "Sometimes, you lose to get better. "

How can we continue to love the sport?

After the Messi incident, many fans said that they "don't believe in football anymore". But I feel that it is better to be sober than to be disillusioned:

• Distinguish between clubs and players: To love Messi you don't have to love Barcelona
• See through the essence of business: Competition Expression, Loyalty of Another Superstitious Organization
• Cherish the moment: Mbappes will eventually grow old, so enjoy their performances now

Football is never a fairy tale, but that's why those rare moments of genuine affection are all the more precious – like the singing of the fans when Messi returns to Argentina, or the choice of Sergio Busquets to travel to Miami to reunite with him.

Final Thoughts

Occasionally I imagine another parallel universe: in the summer of 2021, Barcelona managed to keep Messi. Maybe they'll win one more La Liga title, maybe the museum at Camp Nou can add a few more trophies. But in this universe, we see something much more real -When business logic crushes personal emotions, even the king of the ball is not immune。

It's brutal, but maybe it's the truth we need to know. After all, true heroism is true heroism when you still love life after recognizing the truth of life. And Messi, with his number 30 shirt in Paris and the Hercules Cup in Qatar, taught us one last lesson:It's not terrible to be abandoned, it's important to make a comeback gracefully。

Now every time I see Messi's smile playing in the United States, I think of him crying in 2021 years. Time has finally given this fairy tale an imperfect but warm enough ending - I just wonder if the Barcelona management will occasionally flash a trace of regret when they look at the skyrocketing market value of Miami International?