Mark van Cromvoort was thrilled to have tickets to Barcelona’s season opener to lastly get a better take a look at his favourite participant Lionel Messi for the primary time.
“I haven’t seen him in person,” she stated outdoors Camp Nou, “and yet unfortunately won’t.”
While Paris Saint-Germain followers chant Messi’s identify upon his formal introduction on the Parc des Princes, Barcelona loyalists are nonetheless adjusting to the fact that he’s gone.
Barcelona’s post-Messi interval begins on Sunday evening when Catalan membership hosts Real Sociedad. The 34-year-old Argentine star joined PSG on a two-year contract this week after his proposed deal to stick with Barcelona was sensationally demolished, ending an almost two-decade run in Catalonia.
Van Cromvoort, a Dutchman in his mid-20s who was quickly residing and dealing at Barcelona, ​​was already his ticket earlier than the workforce introduced that it couldn’t afford to maintain its best participant. He visited the stadium on Saturday.
“I’m still definitely excited to see the game,” he stated.
Inside the membership’s “megastore” at Camp Nou, Messi’s quantity 10 shirts are nonetheless out there, however they’re on a ground rack, whereas the jerseys of present gamers reminiscent of Antoine Griezmann, François de Jong and Anu Fati are prominently on the wall rack. are hanging. No, Messi will not be on a reduction. The males’s blue and purple house jersey price 110 euros ($130) for 2021–22.
As for Meritzel Reyes, she will be able to at the least say that she has seen Messi play – even that’s exhausting to recollect. She was only a youngster when her father took her to a sport. Now 12 years outdated, she was sporting a Messi jersey like her little sister after a visit to the Camp Nou retailer along with her mother and father on Saturday.
“He’s the best in the world. It’s sad,” she stated. “I hope he comes back to Barcelona but I don’t think so.”
Van Cromvoort sees a silver lining.
“It’s impossible to change him, but it’s also difficult for other players to shine when you have a partner like Messi,” he stated, “let’s hope the team picks it up.”
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman would agree with the sentiment. In his pre-match information convention on Saturday, he acknowledged the ache of the followers however urged them to not “live in the past”.
Messi gained each huge honor with Barcelona and per week in the past held an emotional farewell information convention that signaled the tip of an period. He had deliberate to cut back his wage by 50%, however the membership’s money owed – greater than 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) – and the Spanish league’s monetary fair-playing guidelines made this impractical.
PSG shortly swooped in and signed Messi on a two-year contract with an choice for a 3rd season.
Koeman stated he’s notably relying on Griezmann “because Antoine will play in Messi’s position, giving the team more freedom, and that could be an advantage for him. … Have to take a step forward.”
The state of Barcelona’s monetary scenario turned clear once more when the membership needed to scramble for the final minute signings of Memphis Depay and Eric GarcÃa to play within the Spanish league. The workforce stated on Saturday it was made doable by centre-back Gerard Pique agreeing to a “significantly reduced” wage.
Spanish well being authorities are permitting crowds of as much as 40%, however the 99,000-seat Camp Nou was anticipated to have fewer than 30,000 followers, with many Catalans on vacation in August.
Van Cromvoort has a Plan B to see Messi in particular person. He has talked to his buddies about this.
“Paris is so near the Netherlands, it is like a five-hour drive. We stated, ‘Let’s see PSG this season,’ particularly if (Kilian) Mbappe can be there.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
