The microeconomy revolves around Mess’s Paris adventure

Paris, September 15 (Reuters) – Parisian photographer Olivier Sanchez has just one story in town: the new life of Lionel Mess.

Newspapers and magazines around the world provide their Crystal Pictures with pictures of the Argentine footballer, his wife and children settling in the French capital a month after their arrival.

“Today it’s me Messi and no one else,” he said. “Everyone wants a piece of him. He’s king. Simple.”

When Mess’s childhood club FC Barcelona announced they couldn’t afford to hold a six-time Ballon d’Or winner, the French club Saint Germain of Paris (PSG) struck.

According to media reports, PSG agreed on an amazing net salary of € 71 million ($ 84 million) over two years, but club president Nasser al-Khelaifi said directly that people would be “shocked” by the income he received.

The money train extends far beyond the club.

Messi represents financial opportunities from luxury real estate agents to Argentine restaurant owners, from the paparazzi to the private concierge.

Sanchez said he had at least two photographers gathering tips and watching Fair and PSG for the family’s first shots when they finally cut off protection from the hotel.

In Barcelona, ​​he won the admiration of the locals down to earth lifestyle, waving their neighbors, enjoying seaside meals and taking their children to bouncy castles.

“If we get them in a park, a walk in town or Disneyland in Paris, the newspapers poured it down,” Sanchez said.

Luxury real estate agent Susie Hollands is currently looking for Forbes ’second most hired athlete-worthy man-worthy real estate market in 2021. Hollands, founder of boutique real estate group Vingt Paris, has partnered with PSG before and knows the requirements of players.

“Usually they want 1,000 square feet – which is hardly in downtown Paris – and parking for their cars,” Hollands said.

State-of-the-art security and privacy are also important.

One PSG player whose apartment in Hollands worked cost € 35,000 ($ 30,000) a month, he said, adding that such a lease would earn him € 50,000-60,000 in fees.

“We’ll see if we can find something. But you either have it or not,” Hollands said, adding that he was one of the selected groups of agents the club worked with.

MESSI BOUNCE

For several years after the Emir of Qatar bought PSG in 2011, Yves Abitbol’s concierge firm helped identify some of its highest-profile players, arranging house hunts, processing bank and insurance documents, and searching for house staff.

Sometimes he responded to a player’s preference needs, including visits to sports car dealers and luxury watch boutiques.

Abitbol said his company, MyConcierge, had worked closely with PSG until it created its own internal team several years ago and cut off like him.

Nonetheless, Abitbol’s affordable travel agency has seen Mess bounce. “I have people around the world asking us to host three days in Paris with seating on Match Day to watch the Mess,” he said.

The warm demand to see Messi in person – even though he was just watching from the auditorium and not playing – saw tickets to PSG’s first game after his signing, at Strasbourg’s home, sold used for over € 800.

On Wednesday night, he was scheduled to join other superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in a frightening attack trio in Bruges in the Champions League. Read more

His number 30 jersey, which has a retail price of 108 euros, has sold faster than anything else, PSG said. Activity Tracking Talkwalker said that since Friday, Messi had been in contact with the club for the first time in early August – the following Tuesday, when he signed the contract, PSG gained 3 million followers on social media platforms.

Once again, the club was not alone

“We saw an attack on social media,” said Enrique Tirigall, founder of Volver, a high-quality Argentine restaurant chain in Paris. Reservations for his flagship steakhouse, a ghost of the popular PSG stars, including Messi compatriot Angel Di Maria, flooded after the Argentine deal was signed.

“Everyone wants to eat what he eats,” Tirigall said.

($ 1 = € 1.1814)

Reported by Richard Lough; Editing: Andrew Cawthorne

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