Fans will always want the best players, no matter how expensive they are. FC Barcelona’s inability to retain Lionel Messi is not just indicative of how badly the giant of Spanish soccer has been mismanaged. It also underscores the foibles of fan ownership. The club announced on Thursday that Messi, the talismanic superstar who has driven the club to 10 La Liga and four Champions League titles, is leaving the club. Barca was ultimately unable to stomach his wage bill — reported to be worth $160 million a year — without breaking the financial regulations of La Liga, Spain’s top soccer league. Read more from Bloomberg Opinion: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-08-06/barcelona-s-lionel-messi-debacle-shows-flaws-of-fan-owned-teams?sref=MyGN3MNu Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm​ Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live​, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg​ Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQu...​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake