Alright: so a lot has been said about this Thiago business since it became apparent the Club cared more about getting a 100 pt season even after the Liga was won (which was utterly baffling for obvious reasons, until we found out recently the players were offered bonuses [normally given when you win a title] if they reached it. More on that later, though). I'm just going to say my two cents here and that'll be the end of it.

I want you to picture a big ball of yarn - all tangled together, each individual strand crisscrossing and bunching together into a thick, wad of cotton fibres - because that is how I see the multitude of issues at Barcelona. Each thread represents a problem at Barca and, as all complex things in life, they overlap and often occupy the same space, and the sheer amount of these problems is what allows this ball of yarn grow as large as it has.

But these threads all share something on a primordial level, they all exist for one reason - and that is this Barcelona board.

Let's start at the top here, the first original strand of the ball of yarn: Sandro Rosell is a businessmen, an advocate for Catalan independence, and a jackass. None of this is surprising, if you were following his electoral process where he rode on an ultra-nationalistic platform that included lamenting the presence of African kids in the Masia [because they would take away the opportunities of the Catalan kids), which really should have sent people to the high hills, ringing Yaya Toure sized alarm bells, but Rosell knew his voter base well and got elected. It probably helps that he also said the club was totally screwed financially and it would all go tits up unless he was there to right the evils of excess that Laporta and co. regularly engaged in.

But that xenophobic bullcrap? Yeah, it wasn't call out, wasn't even blinked at really, so it was effectively deemed okay. But I'm not making this point just to point out how backwards the thinking is in this guy's head - only a bit - I want y'all to remember it because it's another strand and it's going to be a plot point later on.

Also, for those who don't know, here is yet another strand, this one is a deep rooted one that was around before it tangled its way into the Yarn of Everlasting Barca Problems: Sandro Rosell Edition. Laporta is his arch-nemesis. We're talking My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die-type hatred here. They used to be buds but now they're not and Sandro wants to burn everything related to their friendship-that-never-was. This is very important. This strand will be on the test later.

Okay. What happens after Rosell gets elected is too long to list but the abridged version is he rails on Laporta in pressers, he picks a fight or three with Cruyff, he rails on Laporta in media interviews, closes soci membership, he does f-all to protect the club from a series of allegations that include Busi-Marcelo incident, rails on Laporta in his sleep, sells the shirt, drives Pep out of the club, has series of lapses in judgement to the point where its revealed he never had judgment in the first place, hides in women's washrooms, and rails on Laporta by crapping on his sporting project because it was obviously his legacy and he wants to burn it.

That last point is really important.

So to recap on the problem-strands I'm talked about: 1) Sandro Rosell, 2) Sandro Rosell and his xenophobia, 3) Sandro Rosell and his hatred of Laporta.

Now I'll add one more: 4) Sandro Rosell and his need to be eulogized and remembered at all costs.

You know how he hates Laporta with the fiery rage of a thousand suns? The guy who Sandro wants to destroy so badly, he wants to annihilate everything and anything that has to do with him? (I might not have mentioned it so I just wanted you to know.) Well that Laporta ended up sowing the foundations and building the best team Barcelona has ever seen. Now Sandro is in charge of that club, and he still wants to kill Laporta via his legacy, but he also wants the club to do well since that'll get him remembered which is how Problem-Strand #4 originally came to be.

Rosell sells the shirt, which Laporta never did (even though Laporta paved the way for Sandro to broker that deal, but that's neither here nor there) and it'll get him into club history as the first president to do it and so it automatically a good idea because it solves Problem-Strands #3 and #4 respectively. He rails on Laporta more, because cules are obviously getting pissed at this and needs to justify this dying need to get Qatar Airways on the front of the shirt. He sweetens this up a bit by saying it'll still be a foundation on the front - Qatar Foundation to be exact - but neglects to mention that it'll say Qatar Airways a season or two after. If that's lying, well, - oh look, we named 30 million profit last year!!!!! What were you saying?

But that wasn't enough for Sandro. Remember, he HATES this guy and everyone still remembers and talks about the team he build, and he wants to END this guy. So he goes after the philosophy he ascribes to and go-to men he loves and respects: Cruyff and Pep. Sure, those two guys are Club symbols, but no one said war is ugly. Sandro's got the media on his side and that's all that matters. So he kicks out Cruyff and, later, Pep.


It's this: Sandro Rosell wants to get reelected. [He's got plans, okay, like renaming and designing the Camp Nou in his image, and that cannot happen in just one term.] The problem is, he's done a lot of sh*tty things that people aren't happy of in the name of AUSTERITY [this is the code word he uses for LAPORTA HATE] and socis - registered members of the club - might actually want to boot him out. The good news is basically only Catalan voters can boot him out - and he's got the Catalan media on lock, yo - so that's a-okay, but international socis can be brutal [they're only good enough for revenue and they don't really matter unless they make a penya in his name) and he's needs everyone to love and remember him [Problem-Strand #4, man. Always Problem-Strand #4.]

IF you're still reading this you're thinking this is all well and good, get the Rosell ranting out of your system, but are wondering what the hell this has to do with Thiago.

It's this: Rosell and the board decide to give out player bonuses if they can reach 100 points in the Liga. It's never been done before - which means no president has ever presided over such a feat which the first president to preside over a never-been-done-before-feat will go into the record books HELL TO THE YES that will be Sandro now, baby. Even better? Laporta's never done it before either.

So that means that the best players have to play, because that'll guarantee a win, which will guarantee points which will guarantee history. For Barca on the pitch, that means Xavi plays in the middle (fatigue, age, and tendons be damned). There's the thing though: That also means Thiago doesn't play. Problem outside the obvious? Thiago had that clause in his contract that everyone knows and their mom knows about by now: He's got to play 60% of the games or his buyout clause goes "down" from 90 million Euros to 18 million Euros. Which we find out via the media towards the end of the season when it's clear Thiago won't be starting any of the games - because of the 100 pts, but remember the fans don't know about the bonuses so it's really baffling why our strongest lineup keeps playing when we've already WON THE LIGA - and that pisses a lot of people off because here's the thing: when Thiago signed his contract renewal, everyone on the board said that Thiago's buyout clause was 90 million. Period. There was no condition listed, no clause or whatever, just straight up reported as 90 million Euros.

[The Club actually negotiated that clause with Thiago's stage dad Mazinho and co. because it meant that Thiago takes lower wages - remember they've been beating on about AUSTERITY so it's very important they haggle like this, okay.] Here's another thing - the board actually forgot about this little clause in his contract. True, they probably didn't think he'd be injured for 2 months, but they also have ample opportunity to play him before the season ends.

So Thiago's gonna be worth 18 million Euros if he doesn't play and alarm bells will be ringing around Europe if that happens and we shouldn't lose Xavi's heir so cheaply either. So he should play, right?
He doesn't play.

But Barca get 100 points, yay! Sandro's in history, yay! Thiago's worth 18 million now --- oh f*ck, we forgot about that clause, that's probably not good. We messed up, guys, cos even though 100 pt > all, this looks like pretty crappy leadership and man-management, it doesn't look like we have a clue about what we're doing and it looks short-sighted. We should do damage control, guys.

Barcelona Damage Control Plan:

1) Leak everything you think to the press.
2) Spin this so everything is left for Thiago to deal with. Let him make up his mind by himself. He'll stay if he wants to stay. His future is in his hands.
3) Emphasise how important loyalty is. If Thiago has any ounce of it and knows what's good for him, he'll stay. We may have enabled him to leave, but LOYALTY and PATIENCE, guys.
4) Failing that, blame him for being a money hungry mercenary who doesn't give a f-k about the Club. Make MD and SPORT dig up old quotes about how he wants to succeed in football [not Barca, because this is very important.]
- 4.5) Talk up Sergi Roberto. He's a great kid - Catalan, patient, loyal - he could play Thiago's position *cough, cough*
5) IF you get the chance, aim pot shots at Pep cos he's buddies with Laporta and we need to get reelected [optional]

So the stage is set for the summer and you all know what happened. Alrighty then, if you're still with me: let me get to the good stuff now.

Cules have been very divided on this Thiago issue. Many think he should've be patient and wait for his chance. He shouldn't cut corners and should try and fight for a place in the team. They also believe that Thiago is distracting cules from the larger picture which is the Barca board. They don't understand why all the ire has been directed at Thiago's departure and not at the board. A couple of others seem to think he isn't very good and that Sergi Roberto is better. There may be other points they're making, but it's 1am and I can't remember 'em all, but that seems to be the gist.

Here's what I think: There shouldn't be a divide on this Thiago issue at all. Remember that ball of yarn? Some cules have tangled them up and are addressing one strand while ignoring or disregarding another. Some cules are mistaking one strand for another. To be less metaphorical let me say them straight out in bullet points:

-On Thiago's quality: some didn't think he was too flashy/good enough or think Cesc will replace Xavi. Frankly I think those people are very, very wrong and that this isn't even up for debate. Thiago was the only CM we have on Barca - Cesc plays best up front, he doesn't conduct a game. His best areas are assisting and goalscoring. Thiago has shown to be very versatile - able to play on the wing, in the attacking midfield, defensive and central midfield. He has worked and worked on his defensive game to the point where he can also play defensive midfield.
There was no doubt in my mind that he is supposed to be Xavi's replacement. No doubt.

-On people failing to see the bigger picture (i.e. ineptitude of the board) because they're too busy being mad at Thiago leave: This one I don't understand, I truly don't, because no one is arguing that the board isn't complete crap and doing really sh*tty things - and no one is arguing Thiago isn't just one more example of that. He's just such an egregious example that we can't just sweep it under the carpet or put it away and just label it "just another board f-- up".

Two reasons: 1) we see the ineptitude of these people because it's driven out the immediate future of our club - which you guys already know - and as a consequence of 1) comes 2) which is Xavi has maybe two more seasons left at the top and we had his prime replacement ready RIGHT NOW but the Club decided to sell him for a quick buck. I honestly don't think people understand the magnitude of the sale (and what it means about club priority and farsightedness) because they'd be raging like we did.

Like, imagine we had a CB. A Varane type player or something that was the perfect replacement for Abidal* and/or Puyol who had the talent and the experience to lead the defense, and we sold them to our rival. Everyone would go nuts because it's clear right now that we NEED at least one CB.

But therein lies the problem in my eyes: people are too shortsighted to see the monumental mistake we just made because Xavi STILL HAS two more season - i.e. we'll be okay for now - and we need a CB RIGHT NOW, even though the long term damage of losing an orchestrator will be greater IMO.

I just don't see how you could just shrug and say, "let's move on, it's over" without saying how utterly sh*t this decision ones. It was so, so bad for so many reasons. [the lies, the use of the media, etc.] Unbelievably so.

Those who hate the board, who want to show everyone how crap they are, air all the terrible things they do - this decision to sell Thiago is just MORE ammunition. But some have just decided to attack Thiago for the point below [LOYALTY] which makes no sense to me - because that's the same line of thinking as the board. They spent the whole summer beating that point to death, spinning everything so that it comes to Thiago wanting to leave for more money, not wanting to fight for his place, because he's not PATIENT enough. He's not LOYAL enough. Which means those people actually agree with this board on some level, as ironic as that is. He stays longer than Cesc, doesn't play because club wants to make [imo] pointless history, gets treated as a lump-sum of cash by the club, isn't valued much by the Club or coach very much - but hated on because he didn't stay when his former manager who believes in him calls him, and says goodbye to the fans. I just don't understand it.

-On the patience and loyalty: people are constantly talking about how patience Xavi and Iniesta hadn't broken into the first team. Xavi talked about how he almost went to Milan and everything. They like to mention how many appearances Xaviniesta had this age or that age. I don't like this argument for a number of reasons - the main one being: it shouldn't have happened. Those two should have never been close to leaving the club/never staying in the first team.

When Xavi and Iniesta talk about how hard it was to break into the first team and how they almost left - it wasn't just to show how loyal they were. The main reason was to put the folly of those managers who didn't play them on display, to show how silly it was not to give these youngsters the chance (because we all know how good they are now and we can laugh about it now in retrospect). It should be taken as the warning/advisory it is than the standard/barometer cules and the board are making it out to be.

As an aside: this is not even mentioning the Pep Factor. To quote a genius: he's mesmerizing. If there was the option of treble-winning coach calling you when you realize your situation at your club is bad and saying he'll start you in big games, I sincerely doubt either of them would've said no. We'll never know, of course, so it's all pointless now to debate, but if Milan was that tempting to Xavi then, imagine if the guy he admired (who won a treble with him earlier) rang him up....

The board has decided to attack Thiago directly because they messed up and neglected to fix it. It'll look bad if he just leaves so they talked up the loyalty angle for all its worth. But why is that the player has to be the paragon of loyalty, always be 100% for the club's wishes all the time no matter what, no matter if it's detrimental to them, and the Club just waltzes around blameless? No one is saying the player has to be bigger than the club. No one is saying the club has to be held hostage - but how is asking why he didn't start games when the league was won holding the club hostage? I don't get it.

-On S. Roberto being able to replace Thiago: Err, for one thing, S.Roberto doesn't even play the same position. Poor Sergi becomes the smokescreen for this board. Remember Problem-Strand #2 - Causal Xenophobia? Well, that's been rampant. It's very insidious from the poor to appeal to the nationalism of the voter base, but hey, no one is saying anything so it's okay. They're very comfortable with making xenophobic comments because who's gonna cry foul other than those international socis we don't care about (except when they give us money). And so when it becomes apparent that Thiago isn't gonna stay, they decide to turn to the tried and true method of boosting up an innocent kid - he's loyal, he's great, look at that, he's Catalan, too - to mask the obvious error they made.

There are probably some more points I should make, but it's now 2:30am and I'm talked out. The point of that whole problem strands metaphor was to say that people get their issues tangled up. There are so many problems at Barca, and many of them are closely connected like strings in a ball of yarn - but when sometimes you've got to separate them to see what people are angry about re: Thiago. It's a domino effect, one that's been coming if you look at the signs, but the fall of this particular domino is especially bad - for many reasons, both sporting and political. It signals that things are only going to get worse, because, yes, they actually are that short sighted.

You are now never going to hear me talk anything Thiago for an extended period of time.

Peace.

/rant

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