u/Cheap_Duty_2885

La Familia’s protest is about much more than supporters wanting acknowledgment from the players. That incident was simply the last straw.

What’s happening right now is symbolic of the actual state of the organization as a whole.
The club has become dysfunctional. A structure that, while not perfect, at least had direction and identity has been replaced with yes men and people who clearly lack the skill set to run a serious football organization long term. Everything now revolves around one player. And while Lionel Messi is the greatest player to ever touch a football, no player should ever become bigger than the club itself.

In the process, the identity of the club has been sacrificed. Real supporters — the ones who were here before the hype and will still be here after — are being displaced and priced out to cater to casual fans and tourists who will disappear the second Messi leaves. Atmosphere, culture, and loyalty are being treated as secondary priorities.

And despite all the attention and spending, what has the club really achieved? Since Messi arrived, the team has won trophies, yes, but never more than one per season. Last year they had one of the easiest paths imaginable to win multiple trophies and still fumbled it. This season, Getting eliminated from CCC in the first round was embarrassing. Then in 2024, another first-round playoff exit. For a club with these ambitions and resources, that is failure. The root of all of this? A coaching staff that was planted that by Messi’s entourage, despite not winning anything with the Argentina U23 team  and no prior club football experience, he was just a cone placed there  
The concern from real fans is not about one moment after one game. It’s about the direction of the club and the long-term consequences once Messi is gone. Right now the organization feels reactive, disconnected from its supporters, and completely dependent on one figure to hold everything together.

We, the OG’s, will be here after all of you leave. And this has been ongoing since 2023, when STHs were pushed aside forthe US Open Cup Final, then in 2024 for CCC and League Cup tickets, we were only given the chance to purchase our seats once ticket sales were below estimates. Then it happened again in the MLS cup final. These ‘exclusive pre sale windows’ severely limit quantity and only feature the worse seats available and triggers dynamic pricing, only exponentially increasing prices

The players refusing to acknowledge the supporters wasn’t the root problem. It was just the moment that finally made everything impossible to ignore.

-A Fan from this club since the COVID Days and Former STH

I have been a fan of this team since the early days, even a STH for several years until they moved to the new stadium and I have to say I am not a fan of where the club is going
1- We’ve let go good people in the sporting side, with letting Henderson go, which was able to work even with the sanctions, in favor a Raul Saleji which was given the boot after getting into an argument with Messi, only to be replaced by this Hoyos guys who doesn’t seem to have an idea of what his doing in the sporting director side and manager side of things

2- Neville was not given a proper chance for being bad half a season which we were holding DP and cap space for Messi and co. To be replaced with Tata who wasn’t terrible but was fired at the first sign he had trouble with the veterans, and then after Masherano the locker room culture has been terrible. Even more so after Alba and Busquets leaving

3- The whole Franco debacle and lack of professionalism from authority figures. Hoyos only answering 1 question after a tough loss instead of showing face, while sending the academy kids to show face and the veterans hiding. This wasn’t bad, but still noticeable when Jordi and Busi was here but has gotten worse with RDP and Suarez being our main guys now. , there is a clear locker room divide and no real leadership and mentorship if Im being honest.

4- Behind the scenes the club sending Front Office people out and replacing with Messi friends, like the communications director that was fired after getting into an argument with Messi, Rafael Cabrera I think was his name, and being replaced with Messi people from Unique FC. Same in the soorting director side with Henderson being replaced with this Hoyos guy who only signs either Argenternians abroad or people from the Argentina league who seem to be bums like Mura, Chelo, Allende, etc.

I think Messi is a great footballer, the best one to ever play this game, but I don’t think this translates to other aspects of the game outside the pitch. Giving Messi too much influence outside the pitch and into other aspects of the club will end up hurting this club in the long term. Idk if this reflection is because of the tough loss yesterday, but Im sure the team will figure this out, but I feel at a cross roads with the identity of the club being so unlikeable. I feel this is not the same club I came to love and root for.