as he will be an all-time great footballer

[Maybo]

These games didn’t have to be thus. No Inter Miami game does. But for Messi’s time in the league, it appears he will be as much of a marketing tool as he will be an all-time great footballer fans may get the chance to enjoy should they manage to get a ticket for a game.

Source: Boos, thrashings and injuries: how Inter Miami’s world tour turned into a circus by James Nalton, the Guardian

Have I understood the above sentence correctly? I rewrote the underlined part as follows:

...it appears he will be as much of a marketing tool because he will be an all-time great footballer that fans may get the chance to enjoy if they manage to get a ticket for a game.

 

[Tarheel]

I think you got it exactly right.

 

[jutfrank]

No, you've misunderstood it. The word as is not like 'because'. The sentence is comparative, using the structure 'as much ... as ...' .

The logic is this: He will be both a marketing tool and an all-time great footballer in equal parts.

 

[Maybo]

Have I parse the sentence correctly?:

it appears he will be as much of a marketing tool as he will be an all-time great footballer [that fans may get the chance to enjoy if they manage to get a ticket for a game].

 

[Tarheel]

Jutfrank is not wrong. However, he is only a marketing tool only because he is a great footballer.

 

[Tarheel]

Have I parseD the sentence correctly?:

it appears he will be as much of a marketing tool as he will be an all-time great footballer [that fans may get the chance to enjoy if they manage to get a ticket for a game].

I think so. Let's see if Jutfrank agrees.

 

[Tarheel]

Jutfrank is not wrong. However, he is only a marketing tool only because he is a great footballer.

Jutfrank is not wrong. However, he is only a marketing tool only because he is a great footballer.

@Maybo There are too many "onlys" in that sentence. Which one would you remove? (It's a trick question. )

 

[Maybo]

@Maybo There are too many "onlys" in that sentence. Which one would you remove? (It's a trick question. )

Remove the first only.

 

[Tarheel]

Remove the first only.

That's what I would do. However, it doesn't really matter. (I told you it was a trick question. )

 

[jutfrank]

Have I parsed the sentence correctly?:

it appears he will be as much of a marketing tool as he will be an all-time great footballer [that fans may get the chance to enjoy if they manage to get a ticket for a game].

I think you have the right idea, yes, but I'd do it like this:

... he will be as much of [a marketing tool] as he will be [an all-time great footballer [that fans may get the chance to enjoy if they manage to get a ticket for a game]].