When Lionel Messi made a shock go to to the Spotify Camp Nou this week, social media erupted with hypothesis. May the Argentine legend, now enjoying for Inter Miami, make a sensational short-term return to Barcelona through the MLS low season? The picture of Messi standing contained in the partially renovated stadium — the place he known as house for over 20 years — reignited goals that had by no means actually pale among the many Catalan trustworthy. However Joan Laporta had a really totally different message in thoughts, one which would go away no room for creativeness.
Messi’s go to to Camp Nou got here out of nowhere. In keeping with Catalunya Radio, Barcelona had no prior information that their former captain was returning to the stadium. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had merely completed dinner with associates earlier than stopping by to see the place that outlined his profession. His put up on Instagram, captioned with a heartfelt message — “I hope sooner or later I can return, and never simply to say goodbye as a participant” — immediately despatched followers right into a frenzy. May this go to imply one thing extra?
On this planet of soccer, the place the MLS calendar differs from Europe’s, the thought of a mortgage return through the American low season didn’t appear completely far-fetched. Gamers like David Beckham and Landon Donovan had carried out it earlier than. And with Messi nonetheless acting at a excessive degree, many puzzled if he might put on the Blaugrana shirt once more, even only for just a few months.
Nonetheless, Joan Laporta swiftly put an finish to the hypothesis. The Barcelona president, talking firmly and intentionally, made it clear that whereas the 38-year-old will all the time have a spot within the membership’s coronary heart, his return as a participant is ‘unrealistic.’ “Out of respect for Messi, our gamers, and our members,” he stated, “it’s not the time to invest with unrealistic situations.”
That nine-word replace — “it’s not the time to invest with unrealistic situations” — was Laporta’s means of drawing a line. For all the love and nostalgia that the Argentine evokes, the Catalans are a workforce targeted on rebuilding each on the pitch and financially.
The injuries of 2021 nonetheless harm
Messi’s exit stays one of the vital painful episodes in Barcelona’s trendy historical past. In the summertime of 2021, the membership’s debt had surpassed $1.1 billion, and La Liga’s strict wage cap laws made it unimaginable to register Messi’s new contract. Regardless of the Argentine agreeing to a large pay reduce, the La Liga large had no alternative however to let him go.
Lionel Messi attends his press convention about his departure from FC Barcelona
His emotional farewell marked the top of a 21-year period. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner departed as the membership’s all-time high scorer, with 672 objectives and 34 main trophies, together with 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League crowns.
The next two seasons noticed him play for Paris Saint-Germain earlier than becoming a member of Inter Miami in 2023. Now 38, Messi has signed a brand new deal in the USA that runs till 2028, just about making certain that his remaining years as a participant will unfold throughout the Atlantic.
