FC Barcelona

Barcelona president Joan Laporta reportedly is preparing to offer superstar forward Lionel Messi a three-year contract extension with his current deal set to expire at the end of June.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Friday that Barcelona will attempt to structure the proposal—a two-year contract with a third-year option—in a way to lessen the impact of the fact the club must lower his annual salary from its current level of around €75 million.

Messi explored the potential of leaving Camp Nou after last season, but a dispute with the club about when he had the opportunity to exercise an out clause in the deal combined with a sky-high release clause (€700 million) kept him with the Spanish giants for another year.

"I told the club, including the president, that I wanted to go. I've been telling him that all year. I believed it was time to step aside," Messi told Goal in September. "I believed that the club needed more young players, new players and I thought my time in Barcelona was over. I felt very sorry because I always said that I wanted to finish my career here."

His uncertain future became a key factor in Barcelona's presidential election in March, with Laporta returning to the role he previously held from 2003 through 2010.

"I am sure that if someone else wins the election [other than me], Messi won't stay at the club," Laporta said in early March. "I have a good relationship with him; there's a lot of respect. We'll make him an offer based on the club's situation. Maybe we can't compete financially, but Messi is not ruled by money. He wants to end his career at the highest level possible."

Per Marsden and Llorens, Laporta is "increasingly optimistic" Messi will remain with the club and is working to finance a marquee summer signing, such as Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland or Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, to help convince the Barca legend to stay, per Marsden and Llorens.

The key external question is whether other clubs, even the other top European sides, will have enough financial flexibility to make a strong enough offer to get Messi to leave. It's part of the lingering impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and played a role in the failed effort to create the Super League.

Messi has continued to perform at an elite level despite the drama. He's recorded 25 goals and nine assists in 29 La Liga appearances and five goals in six Champions League matches.

Barcelona (68 points) are third in the La Liga table with seven fixtures remaining, but they control their own championship destiny with a game in hand on both first-place Atletico Madrid (73 points) and second-place Real Madrid (70 points) and a head-to-head meeting with Atletico still to come.

FC Barcelona issued a statement Thursday addressing the rapid rise and equally rapid disintegration of the Super League.

Barca said its board of directors signed on as a founding member of the competition "in the conviction that it would have been a historical error to turn down the opportunity to be part of this project."

The club added that it hasn't stopped pursuing an alternative to the Champions League because of the "need for structural reforms to guarantee the financial sustainability and feasibility of world football":

"Given the public reaction that the aforementioned project has generated in many and various spheres, there is no question that FC Barcelona appreciates that a much more in-depth analysis is required into the reasons that have caused this reaction in order to reconsider, if necessary, and to the required extent, the proposal as originally formulated and resolve all those issues, always for the good of the general interest of the football world. Such in-depth analysis needs time and the necessary composure to avoid taking any rash action."

On Sunday, the Super League announced its 12 founding members were seeking to form a new continental competition. Barcelona was one of three Spanish sides along with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

By Tuesday, the house of cards had already tumbled down after all six members from the Premier League backed out.

The notion of a general "super league" has been thrown around for more than a decade. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said in 2009 that a new European tournament could arrive within 10 years, and he wasn't too far off.

However, the New York Times' Tariq Panja and Rory Smith reported how those behind the Super League failed to gauge the inevitably negative reaction to Sunday's announcement. One executive went so far as to say the Super League, which was unveiled at 11 p.m. in London "was dead in the water by 11:10."

The lure of riches far exceeding what clubs could earn from the UEFA Champions League was a driving force behind the Super League, and the windfall would not have come at a better time for Barcelona.

Reduced revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated significant financial issues within the club. Officials said in October that Barca had €97 million in losses for the 2019-20 season, with its overall debt reaching €488 million.

Barça want in, because they need a way out of the mess they've got themselves into with profligate spending. I also spoke to a couple of socios who go to their games - they also want in. "We build a team to play the best, not Eibar."

— Andy Mitten (@AndyMitten) April 22, 2021

Reminder that Messi's salary accounts for 11% of Barcelona's revenue alone!

The sale of mismanagement at Barca is staggering.

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) April 22, 2021

Although the Super League as it was structured Sunday appears to be gone, the concept could resurface under a different guise.

And because a new league would offer Barcelona a straightforward way to address the calamity for which club officials are responsible, it should come as no surprise the Spanish giants aren't closing the door on it for good.

Real Madrid topped Barcelona in El Classico Saturday, but it's Barcelona that sits atop the list of the most valuable clubs in the world, per Mike Ozanian of Forbes.

Barcelona take the top spot as the world's most valuable team, per @Forbes 💰 pic.twitter.com/bhi9pc2o1n

— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 12, 2021

Barcelona are currently worth $4.76 billion, barely edging out its La Liga rival Real Madrid, which sits at $4.75 billion.

It's the first time Barcelona has topped the list, which has seen either Real Madrid or Manchester United sit at No. 1 in each of the last 16 years.

The presence of Lionel Messi, the highest-paid player in the sport, likely helps Barcelona in its marketability, although the superstar's contract is up at the end of the year and he could leave for another top club this summer.

The club will likely still remain one of the biggest in the world, just as Real Madrid was able to stay high on the list after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Premier League also has a heavy presence on the list of the most valued clubs in the world, with five teams inside the top 10 led by Manchester United at No. 4. 

Liverpool is one of the biggest risers on the list with the valuation growing 88 percent since the last list two years ago. This comes after a Champions League title in 2019 and a Premier League title in 2019-20.

It's been a good investment for John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group, including LeBron James, who has been a part-owner of the club since 2011 and became a partner last month.

French club Paris Saint-Germain has grown 129 percent since the last valuation and now ranks ninth at $2.5 billion thanks to star players like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Games are coming for the United States men's national team. Gregg Berhalter's squad will be taking on Jamaica (March 25) and Northern Ireland (March 28).

Since the matches are in Europe—Austria and Northern Ireland, respectively—the American manager will call players based abroad.

Who might get a shot to show his stuff? Another edition of Stock Watch can help wade through the options.

                 

Josh Sargent: Forward, Werder Bremen

Stock: Up

Games: 86 minutes in 1-1 D against FC Koln (Bundesliga); 64 minutes in 2-0 W against Arminia Bielefeld. (Bundesliga)

We criticized Josh Sargent in this space just last week. And for good reason. (He hadn't been good.)

But three games and three goals later, the 21-year-old forward is en fuego. Did he more or less steal the third one from his teammate Milot Rashica? You bet:

Three goals in three games for Josh Sargent 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xKTXxAalU4

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 10, 2021

Even so, that's a stock watch reversal. Someone call Jim Cramer.

                            

Antonee Robinson: Defender, Fulham

Stock: Holding

Games: 7 minutes in 1-0 L against Liverpool (Premier League)

It's been an up-and-down season for Antonee Robinson. The good: playing 1,700 minutes and counting in his first Premier League year while showing pace and a bit of creativity as a left-sided defender (and occasional midfielder).

The bad: He seems to have lost his spot in manager Scott Parker's lineup. He started only three of his last six matches after making 17 starts in a row. 

According to FiveThirtyEight, Fulham's big win over Liverpool increased their odds of escaping relegation  from roughly 54 percent to 68 percent, so perhaps Robinson will get another season to make amends.

Mark McKenzie: Defender, Genk

Stock: Down

Games: DNP in 4-1 W against Mechelen (Belgian Cup); DNP in 2-0 against Cercle Brugge (Belgian First Division)

After joining Genk from the Philadelphia Union, Mark McKenzie started five of his new team's first six games and made a substitute appearance in the sixth. But he's played only one minute since a 2-1 loss against Beerschot (wonderful team name!) on Feb. 21, a run of three matches.

McKenzie just turned 22 years old and made a big, $6 million-plus jump to Europe. Let's hope this is a momentary blip rather than a larger stumble. He's another player for whom the March international break will offer a welcome respite.

                   

Duane Holmes: Midfielder, Huddersfield Town

Stock: Up

Games: DNP in 1-1 D against Cardiff (Championship)

Duane Holmes spent a large part of the season locked in Derby County manager Wayne Rooney's doghouse, then moved to Huddersfield Town and found himself:

Incredible American Goal. Duane Holmes of Columbus, Georgia shoots like LeBron from the logo. His second of the game for Huddersfield in English Championship 👀🚀🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/7U0C5k8Z5o

— roger bennett (@rogbennett) February 20, 2021

He's played pretty much every attacking position and will be an important part of the Terriers' push to avoid relegation.

The upcoming international break is key for Holmes' future with the U.S. If he gets a call, he's clearly in Berhalter's plans. If not, the 26-year-old midfielder's days of donning the red, white, and blue are likely over.

                      

Nicholas Gioacchini: Forward, Caen

Stock: Down

Games: No games

Back in November, Nicholas Gioacchini tallied two goals in a 6-2 rout of Panama. That was fun.

Since then, it's been less so.

The forward's recent contributions at French second-division side Caen have come mostly in the form of cards—three yellows and a red in his last nine matches. His lone goal in 2021 came against Guingamp in the eighth round of the Coupe de France.

Per fbref.com, Gioacchini is producing only 0.22 goals plus assists per 90 minutes. You'd like to see more from a player in Ligue 2.

                     

Lightning Round, Champions League Edition

We've covered the players below recently, so they don't deserve a full stock watch update, but we still want to keep you informed. The more you know, right?

Weston McKennie (Juventus)

Games: 20 minutes in 3-1 W against Lazio (Serie A); 45 minutes in 3-2 W against Porto (Champions League)

In a shocking upset, Porto bounced Juventus from the Champions League. McKennie played the final 15 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra time. While it's a tough out for the Italian giants, perhaps fewer games on the schedule isn't the worst thing for an oft-injured midfielder playing a lot of football.

                  

Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund)

Games: DNP (injury)

Reyna missed Dortmund's clash with Bayern Munich and their Champions League draw against Sevilla because of what appears to be a minor injury. While that isn't good news, a forced week off might benefit a teenager who looked to be hitting a bit of a wall in his first full season as a regular selection.

Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig)

Games: 84 minutes in 3-0 W against Freiburg (Bundesliga); 90 minutes in 2-0 L against Liverpool (Champions League)

Adams remains a rock on the right side for a squad that has a chance to win the Bundesliga. Bounced from the Champions League, Leipzig can focus on catching Bayern Munich. A trophy for Tyler?

                      

Sergino Dest (Barcelona)

Games: 90 minutes in 2-0 W against Osasuna (La Liga); 66 minutes in 1-1 D against PSG (Champions League)

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman moved Dest into the midfield, and the 20-year-old has taken to the position well since it utilizes his attacking strengths while minimizing his defensive deficiencies. Is that something for Berhalter to consider?

                            

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)

Games: 1 minute in 2-0 W against Everton (Premier League)

Pulisic is not happy about his lack of playing time and could leave Chelsea if the situation doesn't change, according to soccer reporter Fabrizio Romano on his Here We Go podcast. But Chelsea's chances to play Champions League soccer next season are up to 72 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight. (Will Pulisic be around for that?) 

Joan Laporta has become the president of Barcelona for the second time, the club announced after Sunday's elections.

🗳 2021 ELECTION 🗳

Joan Laporta, new president of FC Barcelona pic.twitter.com/W0Klb7d1Je

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 7, 2021

Prior to the announcement, ESPN's Sam Marsden noted Laporta held a sizable lead with 75 percent of the votes collected. His 19,293 votes were nearly double that of Victor Font (10,404), the next closest candidate.

"That tally leaves no way back for Laporta's two competitors," Marsden wrote at the time.

Laporta's previous spell ran from 2003-10. At the beginning of his presidency, Barcelona had gone four seasons without a league title, falling behind rivals Real Madrid during the peak of their Galacticos era.

By the time Laporta left, Barca were in the process of revolutionizing the sport and dominating not just La Liga but European football as well.

His prior experience could prove vital given the precarious position in which the club now finds itself.

Lionel Messi's contract is set to expire in the summer, and one could argue bringing him back simply isn't feasible when Barcelona's finances are a total mess. ESPN's Sid Lowe wrote in January their debt approached €1.2 billion, a figure that's down to the COVID-19 pandemic and a wage bill that grew out of control.

"We'll make him an offer based on the club's situation," Laporta said regarding Messi, per Marsden and Moises Llorens. "Maybe we can't compete financially, but Messi is not ruled by money. He wants to end his career at the highest level possible."

The other question is whether Messi actually wants to stay at Barcelona when their on-field results have been so underwhelming the last few years.

Barca are second in La Liga, three points behind Atletico Madrid. But they're facing a difficult challenge in the Champions League, where they trail Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie. Last season's 8-2 quarterfinals defeat to Bayern Munich seemed to underline how badly a total rebuild is necessary.

And executing that rebuild is easier said than done with ballooning debts and aging players whose salaries are so high as to make them almost impossible to offload.

For Laporta, winning the presidential election was straightforward. Now comes the hard part.

Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta said during a debate Tuesday he's the only candidate who can keep Lionel Messi at the Spanish club if elected Sunday.

"I am sure that if someone else wins the election [other than me], Messi won't stay at the club," Laporta said. "I have a good relationship with him; there's a lot of respect. We'll make him an offer based on the club's situation. Maybe we can't compete financially, but Messi is not ruled by money. He wants to end his career at the highest level possible."

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens noted both rival candidates, Victor Font or Toni Freixa, disagreed with that statement, saying they'd also do everything in their power to keep Messi, who can leave on a free transfer when his contract runs out in June.

Laporta, who previously held the role of Barca president from June 2003 through June 2010, argued he formed a bond with Messi the other candidates can't match.

The 33-year-old Argentine superstar, who's played his entire senior career with Barcelona after arriving at the club's famed La Masia youth academy in 2000, hasn't endorsed a candidate in the race.

"No, I prefer not to position myself with anyone," Lionel Messi said in January on Spanish television network La Sexta (via Dermot Corrigan of The Athletic). "People are always saying that I run the club, so imagine the reaction if I said who I want to be president."

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner didn't mince his words about the situation the president will inherit, though.

"I hope whoever wins can bring the club back to where it deserves to be, and where today it is not, but it will not be easy," Messi said. "Things at the moment are really, really bad."

He explored an exit from Camp Nou following the 2019-20 season but disputed contract language and an exorbitant clause that would have forced an interested club to pay €700 million to trigger a transfer made it "impossible" without a court case, which was an avenue he didn't want to go down.

"There was another way, and it was to go to trial," Messi told Ruben Uria of Goal in September. "I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived."

He's continued to produce at a high level, recording 19 goals and four assists in 23 La Liga appearances during the current term, and should generate plenty of interest during the summer transfer window. 

But first, the Barcelona presidential race may be decided based on who the voters believe has the best chance of keeping the club legend with the Blaugrana for the remainder of his career.

Police arrested former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu after a raid of the club's offices Monday, according to Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden of ESPN.

Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau, head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti and adviser Jaume Masferrer reportedly were also arrested, although police did not reveal whether anyone had been charged.

The arrests are said to be related to the accusation that the club's top brass hired a company to smear current and former players on social media.

Llorens and Marsden reported in February 2020 that Barcelona had a contract with marketing firm I3 Ventures since 2017. A Barcelona statement denied the club was responsible for any attacks on social media and threatened to take legal action.

An external audit cleared the club of financial corruption in July. The police opened its own investigation, however, and raided the offices at the Camp Nou in June before returning Monday in search of new evidence.

Bartomeu resigned as Barcelona's president in October following a clash with Lionel Messi over the superstar's potential exit from the club.

Carles Tusquets has since been the team's interim president, and a new president will be elected Sunday.

Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann is among the investors in digital football card company Sorare, which announced on Thursday it had secured $50 million in Series A funding.

Sorare stated it has received support from both venture capital firms like Benchmark and Accel, as well as individuals such as Griezmann, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, former AC Milan striker Oliver Bierhoff, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and famed investor Gary Vaynerchuk.

JUST IN: Digital soccer card site @SorareHQ announces it has received $50M in funding. Backers of the blockchain NFT company include @alexisohanian, @garyvee & Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann.

So far, $4.2M in cards have been traded, including a @Cristiano for $102K. pic.twitter.com/hQ2zmeATEi

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 25, 2021

The company said it will use the money to accelerate the hiring of a world-class team, onboard the top 20 football leagues in the world and launch a mobile application.

"We'll be using this new funding to propel our vision forward," it wrote in the announcement. "Our mission is to create 'The game within The game.' We are transforming online football fandom and giving fans like us the power to own the game they love."

The Sorare market has already taken off, with a card featuring Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo going for over $100,000 in a Sunday auction:

WOW! The Cristiano Ronaldo 2020/21 Unique Card just sold for €84,409.08 (52.885 ETH)! 🚀 Huge congratulations to the proud owner, who also has the previous season's Unique CR7! 🔥🔥https://t.co/RgyL8HzXY4

— Sorare (@Sorare) February 21, 2021

Along with being collectibles, the cards are also usable for fantasy football and other games within the Sorare universe.

While Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman hopes Lionel Messi will sign a new contract with the club, he remains unsure how likely that is to happen. 

In an interview with former England striker Alan Shearer on The Athletic, Koeman said:

"I'm not confident about that. I'm hopeful, yes, about this because he's still a great player, and he's still winning matches for us, for the team. I'm enjoying being his coach; if you look at his qualities every day in the training sessions, it's incredible. Of course, he came as a young kid to Barcelona. And I still don't see Leo Messi in another shirt other than the Barca shirt."

Messi, whose Barca contract expires following the 2020-21 season, made it known to the club in the summer of 2020 that he wanted to play elsewhere. Despite that, Messi remained with Barcelona for the current campaign.

Messi is already permitted to be in contact with foreign clubs, and both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have expressed interest in landing arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, according to Shearer.

While a split between Messi and Barca may be forthcoming, Koeman insisted there are no issues between him and his star player: "I don't have any problems with Leo. He is the captain of the team. I speak to Leo about tactical things, and we have a really good professional relationship that I have with all the players. But he is... OK, he's the captain, so you always have more communication with him."

Messi, 33, is in his 17th season with Barca. He signed with the club in 2000 at the age of 13, and he made his first-team debut in 2004.

Since then, Messi has become a legendary figure, scoring 456 goals in 503 La Liga matches and 650 goals across all competitions for Barca.

He has also helped lead Blaugrana to a host of major accomplishments, including 10 La Liga titles, six Copa del Reys and four UEFA Champions League trophies.

Currently, Barca are second in La Liga, level on points with rival Real Madrid in third place, and 10 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

If this is Messi's swansong at Barca, he has an outside chance to lead them to an 11th La Liga title during his tenure, although he has his work cut out for him as Atleti also have a game in hand on theirr rivals.

Messi is enjoying another strong year with 12 goals in La Liga and 16 across all competitions, meaning whichever club ends up with him next season will still have an elite player on their hands even at the age of 33.

FC Barcelona plan on taking "legal action" against Spanish newspaper El Mundo after it leaked details of the €555 million ($673 million) contract Lionel Messi signed in 2017.

The club released the following statement on its website:

"In view of the information published today in...El Mundo, in relation to the professional contract signed between FC Barcelona and the player Lionel Messi, the club regrets its publication given that it is a private document governed by the principle of confidentiality between the parties.

"FC Barcelona categorically denies any responsibility for the publication of this document, and will take appropriate legal action against the newspaper El Mundo, for any damage that may be caused as a result of this publication.

"FC Barcelona expresses its absolute support for Lionel Messi, especially in the face of any attempt to discredit his image, and to damage his relationship with the entity where he has worked to become the best player in the world and in football history."

Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN reported Messi also plans on taking legal action against the publication. The €555 million ($673.6 million) contract is said to be the most lucrative in professional sports history.

According to the ESPN report, only four copies of the contract exist, and the club plans on pursuing legal action against anyone who was part of leaking it to El Mundo.

The maximum value of the contract was dependent on targets that Messi has not reached, but the scope of the deal is nevertheless astounding—especially in light of Barcelona's financial troubles.

Messi sought to depart Barcelona last summer and seems likely to leave the club when his contract expires June 30.