HIBAPRESS – (Omar Al-Rizini: Barcelona Office)
The president of the Spanish club Barcelona, Joan Laporta, resolved the controversy surrounding the possibility of the return of the Argentine legend Lionel Messi to the ranks of the Catalan team, confirming that this possibility is unrealistic at the present time.
In statements to Catalan radio, Laporta explained that the club is planning to organize a huge tribute ceremony for Messi, in appreciation of his historic career with the Blaugrana, but he stressed that Barcelona fans should not build hopes on the player's return to the stadiums wearing the team's shirt. Laporta said: “Things did not end as we hoped, and if the tribute is able to compensate for what happened, it will be a wonderful thing. And with all due respect to Messi and everyone who belongs to the club, I think talking about his return as a player is unrealistic.” Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after a financial crisis that forced the club to dispense with him, to move to Paris Saint-Germain, before continuing his career later in the American League. During the past few days, Messi sparked a wave of speculation after his surprise visit to the "Camp Nou" stadium, which is currently undergoing renovation work, as he posted on his "Instagram" account a message in which he said that he wished "to return to Camp Nou, not just as a player," confirming in an interview with Sport newspaper his desire to reside again in the city of Barcelona. Regarding that visit, Laporta said: “I was not aware of his arrival, but Spotify Camp Nou is his home. It was a friendly and spontaneous gesture that expresses his love for the club.” The president of Barcelona concluded his statements by confirming that the club is working to organize “the biggest tribute ceremony in the world” for Messi, as soon as the stadium development work is completed, in front of more than 105,000 fans, so that the Argentine star can have a farewell befitting his legendary career.
