The 'Case Messi', key in the agreement of the Barça with Rakuten

The intention of Lionel Messi to go out of the Camp Nou during the market of summer has had a lot of negative consequences for the FC Barcelona and, if it finishes leaving, the history could be worse. The sale of T-shirts of Nike reduced considerably after the burofax that the Argentinian sent to the managerial blaugrana and now has revealed that, probably, his decision have had a big effect in the negotiations of the club to renew the agreement with Rakuten, the elder patrocinante of the culés.

Belt Ajram, the one who was manager of the activation of sponsorships of the Barcelona during the mandate of Josep María Bartomeu, has explained in an interview to the Agency EFE that the uncertainty regarding the future of Leo Messi in the Barcelona has had a big influence in the enlargement of the agreement with Rakuten. The founder of CA Sports Marketing, that formed part of the negotiation between the on line Japanese shop and the Barça that sealed in 2016, has analysed the figure by which renewed the sponsorship, of 30 million euros.

In the first agreement, the Japanese mark had to pay 55 more variable millions. In the last agreement, the already resigned managerial board of Josep María Bartomeu closed the agreement by 25 'kilos' less and no only the economic crisis by the coronavirus affected in the negotiation. Belt Ajram has expressed that "it is a reality that the coronavirus is reducing a lot the quantity of money of the sponsorships because the visibility of the marks has seen very affected, but the agreement of now by 30 more variable millions answers more to the uncertainty of Rakuten respecto the future of Leo Messi"

The expert in marketing asks , even, if "right now this agreement of sponsorship is valued in 30 millions" since Rakuten began the agreement with the Barcelona in a moment 'of gold' of the club, when had the 'MSN' (Messi, Suárez and Neymar). "When you sell the mark Barcelona by the world put the face of Messi. In these conditions any mark would dare to renew by three or four years more because desconoce which will be the value of the club without this player", sentenced.

The first agreement, in detail

In addition to speaking on the last negotiation, Belt Ajram revealed some details of how carried out the first agreement with the Japanese. It is true that Gerard Hammered did the link between Hiroshi Mikitani (of Rakuten) and the Barcelona, but afterwards "were we those who had to convince to the gentleman Mikitani that the T-shirt of the Barcelona cost 55 millions"

Ajram Signalled that, to attain convince them, built a package of sponsorship that justified the money that asked the club. "They put a lot of things that have caused that the expectations of Rakuten, and this is a subjective assessment, have not seen fulfilled", said. For him, the main problem was that in this agreement, the Managerial Board "did not have can on the players yet still took some commitments with Rakuten that involved to the players and that could not assume", expressed.