Messi’s return is “unreal”, says Barça president Laporta | OneFootball

The return of Barcelona’s greatest idol, Lionel Messi, to the Catalan club is “something unreal,” said the club president, Joan Laporta, this Wednesday.

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Surprise appearance at Camp Nou

The Argentine star, 38 years old, made a surprise appearance at Camp Nou on Sunday night and said he hoped “one day to be able to return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”

Departure in 2021 and financial context

An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, the top scorer and player with the most appearances in Barça’s history, left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after two decades at the club, because the delicate financial situation prevented him from staying.

Laporta avoids ‘unrealistic speculation’

“Out of utmost respect for Messi, the club’s professionals, Barça and the members, I believe that, at this moment, it is not appropriate to engage in unrealistic speculation—nor do I consider it fair,” Laporta told Catalunya Ràdio.

‘Barça above all’

The president, who was in office at the time of Messi’s departure, said he does not regret what happened because “Barça is above everything.”

Possible tribute match

Laporta confirmed that he would like to hold a tribute match for Messi’s career at the remodeled Camp Nou, once it is fully open.

“Things didn’t end as we would have liked… if, in some way, this tribute can make up for what wasn’t done, I think it would be positive,” he explained.

“It would be only fair for him to have the best tribute in the world, and it would be wonderful to have him here, in front of 105,000 fans,” he continued.

‘Spontaneous’ visit and schedule with Argentina

The president said that Messi’s surprise visit, now with Inter Miami, to the stadium on Sunday was a “spontaneous” gesture of his love for the club.

Messi is currently in Spain with the Argentine national team, training ahead of a friendly against Angola.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.