No longer ‘Mes que un club’; now, any old club.
Even before considering what an unequivocal misadventure the specifics of the transfer proved to be, at face value it was an endeavour not to improve the team but appease sponsors and fulfil the egos of certain high-ranking officials. Neymar, through no fault of his own, became a bystander in a narcissistic power play, as everything that Barca stood for, arguably for the first time in a decade, became a secondary consideration to revenue generation.
Money drives everything, of course it does. But Barca do it differently, don’t they? It says so right there in the slogan. Not so, not now.
The first warning sign was the uneasy partnership with Qatar that meant a sponsor on the jersey for the first time. From there the path from righteousness towards self-aggrandising rhetoric moved all too swiftly. A club that dealt with its issues with class and integrity fast descended into a duplicitous organisation.
Neymar’s deal meant no centre-back was brought in - another season where the glaringly obvious weak point of the team was not addressed. Neymar is a marketing superstar first, footballing superstar next, and it was too easy for the club to strengthen brand synergy with Nike rather than bring in a player who does uncivilised things like tackle, header, and block. Things that Carles Puyol used to do rather well.
It came in the midst of decisions made with dubious ethics. Before his heartbreaking passing Tito Vilanova’s initial illness was not particularly well-handled, nor was the thrusting of Jordi Roura into a position he openly admitted he did not desire, stating he was ‘just there to do his job’. Eric Abidal’s send-off was ill-judged, given the defensive situation, coupled with the fact he has performed to a high standard with Monaco this season. Victor Valdes, a player who breathes Barca, was suitably disillusioned that he opted to leave.
The Camp Nou redevelopment project, spending €600m to increase capacity and corporate seating at a time when the stadium has been less than half full before Atletico Madrid’s arrival on Saturday, may come across in a practical sense as a means to an end in terms of future revenues. But it’s hard to shake that, just like the tickertape arrival of Neymar, it’s a vanity project for men in suits to attach their legacy to.
And perhaps most gallingly, Neymar is the antithesis to the Barcelona project. La Masia and its ideals mean development of talent from a young age, cultivated to play a certain way. That’s not to say that Barca shouldn’t sign top talents, but an attacking player, renowned for his individuality, wasn’t what was needed to retain continuity.
