Barcelona are already feeling the enormous negative impact of Lionel Messi’s departure, with tickets for the team’s first game of the season selling poorly.
Messi’s exit after 21 years of service was announced last week and days after he held an emotional farewell, the Argentine superstar had put pen to paper on an initial two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Barca will begin life after Messi with a La Liga season-opener against Real Sociedad on Sunday 15 August.
Just short of 30,000 fans are allowed inside the fixture and you’d think there would be huge demand given it’s the first game for 17 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, AS say only 15,820 fans applied for tickets and it’s clear that the main reason for the lack of interest is due to Barca’s all-time top scorer and talisman not being around anymore.
The Blaugrana will look to sell the tickets to regular people as opposed to the 83,000 club members who were eligible.
“If it’s true that indifference is the worst insult, Barca members are sending a very clear message to the club, who begin the season on Sunday with a very serious problem,” the report states.
In other concerning news, it’s said Barca have experienced a staggering 80 per cent drop in shirt sales since Monday following Messi’s departure.
This is despite the club still selling shirts with his name on the back even though he no longer plays for the Catalan outfit.
❗The club members of Barcelona have only requested 15280 of the 30000 available tickets for the league opener against Real Sociedad.
• The stadium may open for non-members.#FCB 🏟
Via (🟢): @Alfremartinezz pic.twitter.com/rTGzPfkJNx
— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) August 11, 2021
Barcelona have registered a 80% drop in t-shirt sales since Monday. The club has not been able to sell the 30.000 tickets for the La Liga opener yet too. The post-Messi era is weighing on Barcelona.
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) August 11, 2021
It’s anticipated that the Barca, already struggling financially, could lose some serious cash in the post-Messi era – with Brand Finance estimating a loss of €17 million on matchdays, €43 million relating to merchandise and €77 million in business revenue.
For PSG of course, it’s the opposite. They are already reaping the rewards of Messi’s signing, having sold more than 150,000 shirts in seven minutes.
PSG can also expect to see some incredible growth on social media, improved attendances and a slew of commercial opportunities after pulling off arguably the best transfer in football history.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said the world will be “shocked” by the revenues the club posts thanks to Messi-mania running wild.
Featured Image Credit: PA