Barcelona crisis: Messi Chelsea link is tip of the iceberg
Squad unrest, backroom sackings, shock defeats and a transfer ban – are Barca really 'crumbling'?
News that Barcelona star Lionel Messi has begun following Chelsea on social media site Instagram has prompted talk of a transfer to London in some quarters and howls of derision in others.
But whatever was behind Messi's decision to take a sudden interest in the Blues on the internet there is little doubt that all is not well at the Camp Nou this season amid reports of squad unrest, high-profile departures and defeat to David Moyes's Real Sociedad at the weekend.
Messi was left out of the team for the game on Sunday, along with Neymar, although both came on as substitutes. The Argentine was then absent from training on Monday with a stomach problem.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Those events may seem relatively trivial but Barcelona's problems escalated in the afternoon when it was announced that the club had fired sporting director Adoni Zubizarreta. Soon afterwards his assistant, club icon Carles Puyol, quit.
It was then that it emerged Messi had begun following Chelsea, along with Blues players Thibaut Courtois and Luis Felipe.
"Obviously it's not a sign of anything concrete," says Spanish paper Sport. "Leo Messi follows 97 people on Instagram – Argentina, Adidas, Beyonce, among others, as well as Manchester City. But amid the rest of the news from Barcelona on Monday, is it any surprise that this has raised suspicions?"
The latest developments also come amid claims that new manager Luis Enrique has fallen out with some of his star players, including Messi.
The Argentine "is believed to have taken offence at Enrique giving a decision against his team in five-a-side training match leading to a stand-off between the two men," reports Eurosport, which calls their spat "ridiculous".
However, Enrique has "a reputation for falling out with star players", reports the Daily Mail, and says Messi is not the only player to have crossed swords withe the coach since he arrived in the summer. But it adds that Enrique "should probably bear in mind that when Messi is unhappy at Barcelona it tends to be the people he is unhappy with that move on".
Enrique's position is not under immediate threat, claims the Daily Telegraph, but it says the rumours about Messi "add to the general air of turbulence at Barca".
The paper hints at civil war at the club by suggesting that Zubizarreta was fired after trying to blame new president Josep Maria Bartomeu for a transfer ban that means the club cannot sign any players during 2015.
The politics may be complex but the problems are clear. "Barca are crumbling," declares Spanish paper Marca. Recent successes have provided a "smokescreen", but Bartomeu has inherited a "mess" that is "simply too big, making it impossible to restore order".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?
Why everyone's talking about A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
A tale of ‘two World Cups’: Messi, Mbappé and ‘money well spent’ for Qatar
feature Amid sportswashing and human rights concerns, Qatar 2022 ended with the perfect final
By Mike Starling Published
-
2022 World Cup final: Argentina vs. France prediction, preview, team news
feature Mbappé and Messi will go for glory, the golden boot, golden ball, and PSG bragging rights
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
2022 World Cup final: Lionel Messi’s last chance to emulate Diego Maradona
Talking Point Argentina captain is one win away from achieving the ultimate dream
By Mike Starling Published
-
Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream: it really is ‘now or never’ for Argentina’s captain
feature After lifting the Copa América in 2021, can he finally add a World Cup winners’ medal to his trophy cabinet?
By Mike Starling Published
-
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: all-time number of goals, career stats and awards
In Depth Portugal star scores 900th career goal but both are facing the challenges of passing time
By Mike Starling, The Week UK Last updated
-
Lionel Messi on PSG, Neymar and winning the Champions League
feature What the Argentine superstar said at his first press conference in Paris
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona: how the football world reacted to the ‘seismic’ news
feature ‘Financial and structural obstacles’ scupper Argentine’s new deal with cash-strapped Catalans
By Mike Starling Published