Messi leaving ripped Barcelona’s soul out, says former Bayern CEO Rummenigge

Barca
may
have
avoided
another
demolition
job
at
the
hands
of
Bayern,
who
defeated
them
8-2
in
the
Champions
League
quarter-finals
13
months
ago,
but
Tuesday’s
3-0
loss
was
a
damning
indictment
of
the
gulf
between
them
and
the
teams
likely
to
challenge
for
European
club
football’s
biggest
prize
this
term.

It
was
the
first
time
since
Opta
records
began
(2003-04)
that
Barca
have
failed
to
get
a
shot
on
target
in
a
Champions
League
game,
and
Bayern’s
superiority
condemned
Ronald
Koeman’s
men
to
three
successive
home
defeats
in
the
competition
for
the
first
time.

Barcelona’s
crippling
financial
state
–
which
has
seen
their
debts
approach
€1.4billion
–
has
contributed
to
a
situation
where
such
heavy
losses
to
Europe’s
elite
are
no
longer
a
surprise.

Prior
to
2020-21,
Barca
had
only
ever
lost
two
Champions
League
home
games
by
three
or
more
goals
but
that
has
occurred
three
times
since
–
with
Messi
no
longer
there,
many
would
expect
their
standard
to
continue
plummeting.

Barca
were
unable
to
keep
Messi
due
to
salary
cap
restrictions
and
Rummenigge
sees
a
hollow
shell
of
a
club
left
without
him.

Speaking
to
Bild
TV,
Rummenigge
–
who
left
his
role
as
Bayern
CEO
earlier
this
year
–
said:
“When
you
looked
at
the
team
and
how
they
performed
tactically…
with
Messi
[leaving],
their
souls
were
ripped
out.
They
are
facing
difficult
times.

“They
had
to
let
him
leave,
but
LaLiga
scored
an
own
goal
with
it
[his
departure].”

Barcelona
0-3
Bayern
Munich:
Muller
and
Lewandowski
strike
in
convincing
win
at
Camp
Nou

Rummenigge
was
asked
if
bringing
Messi
to
Bayern
was
ever
a
possibility,
but
he
pointed
to
the
Barca’s
financial
mismanagement
around
the
six-time
Ballon
d’Or
winner
that
made
signing
him
impossible.

“That
couldn’t
be,
that
was
not
a
subject
[considered],”
he
continued.
“You
can’t
think
about
that.

“His
salary
is
at
such
dizzying
heights,
and
don’t
forget,
this
has
a
knock-on
effect.
Then
the
others
want
more
too.

“That
has
resulted
in
Barcelona
having
staggering
debts.”

But
while
Barca
are
left
tending
to
an
institutional
crisis,
their
bitter
rivals
Real
Madrid
appear
to
be
in
a
far
less
dire
situation.

Although
club
president
Florentino
Perez
stressed
Madrid
football
was
running
out
of
money
earlier
this
year
when
he
fronted
up
the
attempted
formation
of
a
European
Super
League,
Los
Blancos
were
comfortable
enough
to
lodge
bids
of
at
least
€160m
for
PSG’s
Kylian
Mbappe.

PSG
did
not
entertain
any
offers
but
the
Frenchman
will
become
a
free
agent
next
year
and
Rummenigge
believes
there
is
a
strong
change
both
he
and
Erling
Haaland
could
end
up
in
Madrid
in
2022,
rather
than
the
Norwegian
going
to
Bayern.

“[Robert]
Lewandowski
is
the
best
centre-forward
in
the
world.
Haaland
is
the
second
best,”
he
said.
“I
think
Bayern
is
interested
in
Robert
staying
after
his
contract
expires
in
2023.
Haaland
is
an
investment.

“I
don’t
think
he’s
going
to
Liverpool.
I
know
the
owner
very
well
and
he
is
not
known
for
splashing
out.

“With
Haaland,
I
wouldn’t
rule
Real
Madrid
out.
Maybe
they’ll
open
the
chequebook
a
little
more
in
the
summer
and
possibly
get
Haaland
and
Kylian
Mbappe.”