Lionel Messi offered ‘three-pronged’ proposal for Barcelona return after ‘unforgivable’ departure | OneFootball

One of the candidates for the Barcelona presidency has promised a “three-pronged” approach to bring Lionel Messi back to the club.

After a career which many presumed would begin and end in the same place, Messi was forced to leave Barcelona due to the club running out of money in 2021 and almost ever since then, there have been talks about how he may come back.

Since his departure, Messi has kept his distance from the club and up until a surprise unannounced return to the Camp Nou in November, he had not been seen back in Barcelona.

Now, with the election on the horizon, presidential candidate Victor Font has promised that reconciling the club’s relationship with Messi was near the top of his agenda.

“The fact that he has to sneak into the Camp Nou, that we broke off relations with Leo and not with Real Madrid, is unforgivable,” Font told Spanish radio station Cadena SER. “Reconciliation with Messi should be a priority since he left.”

Of his plan, Font said it was “something that will excite Barca fans” and that it will be “three-pronged” focusing on the institutional, commercial, and sporting sides of the club. Font said he will present this plan to Messi should he win the presidency on March 15.

Font is going up against Joan Laporta who was the incumbent until procedural rules forced him to resign earlier this week. The challenger though has the backing of one of the most influential figures in Barcelona’s history, Xavi, who Font said feels “betrayed” by the way he was treated by the current board.

“He’s very disappointed with the current board,” Font said. “Xavi feels very betrayed and what he wants is a change of model, a modernisation of the club, and for the presidency to stop being so personalistic.”

As for Messi, during his surprise visit in November – which Laporta reportedly did not know about – he stated his desire to return one day and suggested he was looking for more than just a send off from the fans.

“Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart,” he wrote alongside the images on his Instagram.

“It’s a place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel like the happiest person in the world a thousand times over.

“I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do…”

In October, Messi agreed to an extension to his Inter Miami contract, keeping him at the club until 2028.