Barcelona break contract for life as Andres Iniesta joins Vissell Kobe
Andres Iniesta has left Barcelona to play for Vissel Kobe. The Japanese club is owned by the Crimson Group.
On October 6 2017, Barcelona gave Iniesta a contract for life, stating:
Andrés Iniesta signed a lifetime contract with FC Barcelona on Friday, in a deal that will keep him at the Club for the rest of his career…
The signing was followed by a press conference, where a beaming Bartomeu [FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu] told listeners that “the club has grown through this agreement because after 118 years of history it’s the first time we have ever offered a footballer a lifelong contract. This is a reward for Andrés’ exceptional career.”
Iniesta’s reward is to be farmed out to the poor J1 league. Crimson Group runs online merchant Rakuten – it pays a fortune to stick its logo across Barcelona shirts ( £47m a year for four years). Iniesta has made the move from great player in a great team to a marketing gimmick in footballing backwater. Sad stuff. For over 100 years Barcelona refused to have a sponsor. When That changed in 2006, when the shits carried the Unicef logo – the club reportedly paid the global children’s charity £1m for the honour.
And now… They’re no longer more than a club.
Posted: 24th, May 2018 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
