Park Life 71 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Johan Cruyff has said Barcelona were wrong to extend Lionel Messi's contract until 2016 and feels they did so because they feared the spending power of Real Madrid. Lionel Messi deal was wrong for Barcelona, says Johan Cruyff Barca tied Messi, the Argentina forward, to a new long-term deal last month, making him the best paid player at the club. They also increased Messi's release clause to €250 million in a bid to put off attempts to prise him away from the Nou Camp But, while the former Barca player and coach believes Messi deserves to be rewarded financially, Cruyff is against the length of the deal. ''I'm not in favour of long contracts and that's what Barca signed with Messi,'' wrote Cruyff in his weekly column in El Periodico de Catalunya.''I prefer renewing for three or four years. ''The player, whoever he is, needs a motivation to continue growing. ''And I, as a club, would always look to go ahead improving something year by year if he deserves it.'' Cruyff believes Barca were running scared of Florentino Perez and Madrid's millions. Perez returned to Madrid for his second spell as president in the summer and immediately started constructing a second team of galacticos. Reports even suggested he was considering an audacious bid for Messi and Cruyff believes that forced Barca's hand. ''In sport you can never be sure about anything,'' he continued. ''I know that an anti-Florentino clause applied, I know that they have put him on a salary level with the best in the world. ''But to extend it from now until 2016 seems excessive to me. ''The club did it for the old fear of in case the bogeyman came and took him away. ''But if he comes so what? There are many and yes they can come and they will continue to come.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7308 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Or maybe they just wanted to tie down the best player of the last 2 decades to a long term deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Or maybe they just wanted to tie down the best player of the last 2 decades to a long term deal? I think Messi is absolute class but there's no way he is better than Ronaldo was at the same age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniffer 0 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I'd rather have Peter Beardsley than either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew 4962 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I think 2 decades is a bit of a streatch but IMO certainly the best recently we'll see at the end of his carreer I suppose, hes still very young Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 As usual, I think Cruyff has a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7308 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 How? All it means is that if they decide to sell him hes got long enough left on his contract to demand a good fee for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14021 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I suppose he is right generally but more specifically I think Messi has more drive than that and I imagine the money wont eat away at it as he will already be loaded beyond comprehension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I think he has a point about motivation. It doesn't necessarily mean he will lose motivation but you could see how he might - like Ronaldinho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7308 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Comparing Messi and Ronaldinho is like comparing Owen and Gazza tbh. Hes a religious and family man iirc (messi that is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) Comparing Messi and Ronaldinho is like comparing Owen and Gazza tbh. Hes a religious and family man iirc (messi that is) Well maybe. I compared the two because he used to play for them and was the best in the world for a while. I can see why Barcelona are doing it as well. The thing is though, Ronaldinho at his peak clearly loved playing the game as much as Messi does now (maybe more) and then it just left him and he's never been the same since. Irrespective of their different personalities, I can see how Messi might lose motivation. I wasn't having a go at Barca or saying Cruyff was definitely right, just I could see his point. Edited October 8, 2009 by alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7308 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I suppose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinofbeans 91 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 was cruyff a better player than either ronaldinho and messi. Discuss.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 10006 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Johan Crujiff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 was cruyff a better player than either ronaldinho and messi. Discuss.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeazesMag 0 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 was cruyff a better player than either ronaldinho and messi. Discuss.... yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackandwhiteboy 0 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 was cruyff a better player than either ronaldinho and messi. Discuss.... Not old enough to have seen Cruyff play first hand but I would imagine he had a far better career than Ronaldinho, who only really had a handful of outstanding seasons. As for Messi there is a La Liga article here about the division's leading lights. While goals aren't everything, it seems he is only 4th favourite for the golden boot. Some cracking players above him - Villa, Ibrahimovic and the portugese lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Mental how the Dutch had an international record akin to a team like Luxembourg before the 1970s. Before '74 they hadn't qualified for a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup iirc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooj 17 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Shexshy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14021 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Shame Jordi wasn't as good as his faaahja. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7308 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Mental how the Dutch had an international record akin to a team like Luxembourg before the 1970s. Before '74 they hadn't qualified for a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup iirc. Im just reading that book about the dutch team. Brilliant Orange I think its called. It was a British coach who put the wheels in motion for total football at Ajax apparently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isegrim 10006 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Mental how the Dutch had an international record akin to a team like Luxembourg before the 1970s. Before '74 they hadn't qualified for a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup iirc. Im just reading that book about the dutch team. Brilliant Orange I think its called. It was a British coach who put the wheels in motion for total football at Ajax apparently From David Winner? Very good book indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Mental how the Dutch had an international record akin to a team like Luxembourg before the 1970s. Before '74 they hadn't qualified for a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup iirc. Im just reading that book about the dutch team. Brilliant Orange I think its called. It was a British coach who put the wheels in motion for total football at Ajax apparently Read that a little while back actually. Good book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 7308 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Also shows Cryuff for the egotistical cock he is. Demanded to wear a 2 stripe top instead of the adidas 3 stripes during the 74 WC Finals Probably not the best person to be commenting on this situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now