Johan Cruyff has come out in the open after all the dust has settled on the Big and Shiny new contract of our Messi(ah) and in characteristic fashion criticised the Length of the New Contract till 2016. According to the Dutch Legend who masterminded our famous Dream Team in the 90’s, Barcelona were wrong in extending the deal till 2016 and did so in fear of Florentino’s second inning at Madrid and their Big Spending capability. Lets look into Messi’s new contract, his growth at the club and Cryuff’s opinion:

Cryuff was quoted in his weekely column in El Periodico de Catalunya,

”I’m not in favour of long contracts and that’s what Barca signed with Messi,”

”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.”

This brings us back to the original question of whether this move to extend Messi’s contract was under pressure from the club in Madrid and the millions pumped into making a new team there.

”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.

Not mincing his words against his own favorite club he continued:

”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.”

Well these words cannot be taken lightly especially when they come from one of the most experienced football experts and the originator of the footballing culture we have come to imbibe at our beloved club. With 11 trophies, Cruyff has been Barcelona’s most successful manager to date as he had more trophies to show for his tenure, as well as being the club’s longest serving manager. So is Messi’s contract too long for his good?

Lets look at some of the concerns raised by him:

1) Lack of Motivation With Assured Future

Well to be frank there have been many a stars in the past who have faded away with lengthy contracts still on the table. But is it a concern with someone like Messi? Well Messi, everyone will have to agree is a superstar on the pitch and as far away from being on,off it. He is no Ronaldinho-style-Party-Animal. He throws no tantrums. He is never late for pracise and as he calls himself is ‘just of the boys’. Being at the club since the age of 13, he is as much a Cantera product as Xavi or Puyol or Valdes. He has an ego but he does not have an ego problem. There is no certainity that he will ever continue to be the way he his, but all the evidance points towards him being the real deal in the long run. He has garnarned all the praise from the world in the last 2 years, has carried the expectation of the world of being ‘The Next Maradona’ and has managed to not let it go to his head. In 2016 when his contract expires he will still be 29 years old rather than 35 like many of the superstars that faded away after signing the lengthy contract. He is signing the contract at the age of 22 years. That means he will be playing for us from this 22 to 29 years of age. The Golden Years in terms of a footballer’s career, Fitness wise and learning wise. That should be enough to keep his motivation up for the years to come. Remember he is still learning the game. And that should scare our opponents.

2) Messi and The Bogeyman

Well there is a thing about diamonds. Crazy, Rich Jewellers from around the world will always come looking for it and will obsess about it till they can. Now that can be Darth Vedar from the capital of Spain or A Rich Arab swimming in oil that bought the first club that was ready to be sold in any Shitty.  250 million Euros stand between any such invader and the Messi(ah) now. 250 million euros at current standards (which has increased beyond belief) is an unimaginable sum for a player anyway. And whatever he feels for the club that literally bought him up, paid for the treatment of his growth hormonal deficiency and made him the best player in the world. So The Bogeyman does not really seem to be a problem anyway right now.aken.

Its a risk. Anyone who does not agree with that would be a fool. But with Messi it is a risk well taken. Taking his age, performance, motivation, class, personality into account, Its a Risk very well taken.

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