Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, stated on Wednesday that the notion of legend Lionel Messi returning to the Catalan giants is “unrealistic.”
The 38-year-old Argentine superstar made a surprise cameo at Camp Nou on Sunday night, telling fans he hoped “one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer and appearance maker, left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 due to the club’s dire financial situation.
“Out of the utmost respect for Messi, the professionals at the club, Barca, and the Barca club members, I believe that now, to speculate on something unrealistic, nor do I think it is fair, is not appropriate,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.
Laporta, who was in charge when Messi departed, said he harbored no regrets, noting that “Barca is above everything.”
Laporta also revealed his wish to hold a match commemorating Messi’s career at the reconstructed Camp Nou once it is fully operational.
“Things didn’t end the way we would have liked… If, in some way, this tribute can make up for what wasn’t done, I think it would be a good thing,” he said.
He added, “It would be right that he has the best tribute (match) in the world, and it would be wonderful to have it here, in front of 105,000 fans.”
The president hailed Messi’s Sunday visit as a “spontaneous” expression of his love for the club.
Messi, who presently plays for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami FC, is in Spain with the Argentina national team ahead of a friendly against Angola.
