‘It was impossible‘ — Tebas insists Alemany is wrong as La Liga never gave green light for Messi’s 2023 Barcelona return | OneFootball

A fresh debate has emerged around Lionel Messi and his failed return to FC Barcelona in 2023, after former manager Xavi Hernandez publicly suggested that the move did not materialise due to decisions taken by club president Joan Laporta.

Xavi’s comments have triggered conflicting accounts from key figures involved at the time. Former Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany backed the coach’s claims earlier this week, stating that La Liga had already given approval for the Argentine star’s potential return.

However, La Liga president Javier Tebas has now strongly rejected that version of events. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Tebas insisted that the league never granted any approval and that Barcelona never even formally approached La Liga about registering Messi.

“La Liga never had that ‘yes,’ and nobody had ever asked us for it. If they weren’t even under the 1:1 rule, it was impossible to give approval when we didn’t even know what he would earn. Moreover, applying the regulations, the salary level assigned to him — even if the contract stated less — would have made it impossible. But beyond that, nobody from Barcelona ever approached La Liga.”

Tebas also addressed Alemany’s remarks directly and dismissed the idea that the competition had approved the move behind the scenes.

“That’s not true. Mateu is mistaken. It’s impossible — even if there had been an agreement, the valuation of the contract would have been like the one for João Félix.”

The La Liga chief’s comments also echo what he had already stated publicly back in April 2023, when speculation about Messi’s return to Barcelona was at its peak. At the time, Tebas acknowledged that a deal was theoretically possible but only if Barcelona met strict financial requirements.

“Today, he cannot be registered, but there is still a lot of time. We are waiting for a viability plan. The club still has other players to register and can also sell players. Today it is difficult. As LaLiga, we hope FC Barcelona makes the necessary moves within financial control so that Messi can fit in. I’m a fan of Leo Messi — I think he’s the best in the world — and I hope they manage it. But we are not going to change any financial control rules approved by the clubs just to bring Messi in. Barcelona can do things to make it happen, and I hope they succeed.”

Tebas has repeatedly maintained that while he personally wanted to see Messi return to Spanish football, the league’s financial control rules could not be altered to facilitate the transfer.

In fact, the day before reiterating his stance, the La Liga president again stressed that the competition never provided any financial guarantee or approval for the deal. According to Tebas, the league was never formally consulted about the possibility.

“The competition never gave the green light or any financial guarantee for a possible signing of Messi by Barcelona. In fact, nobody at Barcelona even asked about Messi’s situation in 2023 — nobody made any inquiry.”

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

With Xavi and Alemany presenting one version of events and Tebas firmly denying it, the controversy surrounding Messi’s failed Barcelona return continues to generate debate. For now, Tebas’ comments appear to vindicate Joan Laporta and his administration, but it remains to be seen whether this story will have any impact on the Barcelona presidential elections scheduled for March 15.