Reality of life without the world’s greatest player begins to hit. It has already hit the club sentimentally and it is expected for the sporting and financial aspect to feel the impact also.The Camp Nou club will have to react smartly and swiftly if they wish to combat the effect of a move which has seen their brand’s value drop by 11 percent. Yes, eleven percent – which is 190 million USD.As Barca can no longer rely on Messi to keep sponsors happy and interested, the club’s approach to commercial relationships and deals will have to change. “From now on, to keep sponsors, the team’s performances will be more important that the names, but it is clear that Messi’s departure will have consequences for the club in terms of sponsors,”, – Marc Ciria, an expert in Barcelona’s finances and general manager of Diagonal Inversiones explained.”Now they have to win [multiple] Champions Leagues. One face won’t be enough for them anymore.”SUNDAY, 22.00: (1.75) BARCELONA (3.60) REAL SOCIEDAD (4.90)Winning silverware will be even more crucial without Messi’s image pushing the club marketing-wise. Different strategies will be required.”Their sporting performance will be the key for keeping sponsors on board,” Ciria emphasised.”Messi gave them a story and now they are left without that.”In the medium term they will have to turn to other figures from La Masia, such as Ansu Fati, even if they are not on Messi’s level.”It is a quite ironic that the Catalan club’s finances did not allow for Messi to stay and yet losing him will make their situation even worse.The club’s income from sponsors at its present level is 210 million USD per year and it has been estimated that the former No.10 was responsible with generating around a third of the Blaugrana’s direct and indirect revenue. This means that it will be a major challenge for Barcelona president Joan Laporta to maintain at least a similar amount of sponsorship earnings.Laporta’s plan was to maintain that figure for two years and then in the third year of his tenure to increase it to 235 million USD. It would be great for the club but realizing such a plan without Messi is almost undoable.Messi: ‘I want to win the Champions League’Some of Barcelona’s sponsors have “Messi clauses”, Ciria also revealed – which means that they might reduce or withdraw their investments in the absence of the incredible Argentinian. However, these companies have their own images to protect and it does not seem likely for that to happen in the short term.As far as obvious sponsors go, there is Rakuten (which can be seen on the front of the shirt) and the current contract between two sides expires in June 2022. The electronic commerce firm will pay the club 30 million euros plus incentive-based add-ons for 2021/22, but Barcelona are hoping to return to pre-pandemic sponsorship levels for the season to come.Without Messi as their walking billboard, companies will surely be reluctant to pay up to 65 million USD to appear on the shirt of Barcelona. Club are interested in hearing other offers even though negotiations with Rakuten over a renewal have begun.Best reactions on Messi’s arrival: “He gives me a h**d-on”And of course, there is Nike. Time is not on the Catalans’ side – American sportwear manufacturer has given Barca a deadline of October to know what sponsors will be appearing on the club’s shirts from July 2022.With the No.10 driving a large percentage of this important revenue stream, another area where Messi’s departure will hit the club’s finances is shirt sales. Now the club hope to use new signing Memphis Depay as their poster boy now. But it is far from simple.”Until now when negotiating with a sponsor, Barcelona’s image was Messi,” said Ciria. “Now it should be the club itself, but they are quickly trying to give Depay more relevance in the short term.It’s finally official: Lionel Messi signs a two year contract with PSG”If Messi sold eight out of 10 Barcelona shirts, in the best case scenario Depay could sell five and avoid shirt sales [which are worth between 20 and 30 million per year to the club] falling by more than 30 percent in the short term.”As there are many supporters who are more fans of Messi than of Barcelona, the Catalan club are most probably set to lose the revenue the shirts bring as the fans follow their favourite footballer to the French capital.For example, Messi’s Instagram account has more than double the number of followers than the official Barcelona account. He may have brought many fans to the club, but not all of them will stay loyal to the Blaugrana in his absence.
